On June 11, 1979, legendary actor John Wayne (Marion Michael Morrison) died of stomach cancer. He was 72 years old. His cancer is sometimes traced back to The Conqueror, a film he shot in 1955 about 100 miles downwind of a Nevada nuclear-weapons test site. Of the 220 people who worked on the film, 91 had contracted cancer by the early 1980s and 46 had died of it, including Wayne, along with fellow stars Agnes Moorehead and Susan Hayward. However, it should also be noted that his death from cancer may just as likely have the result of years of chain smoking. One of the most popular actors in the history of American film, John Wayne appeared in such classics as Stagecoach (1939), Red River (1949), Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952), The Alamo (1960), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), and True Grit (1969) for which he won a Best Actor Oscar. Once, when asked how he wanted to be remembered, Wayne replied, "Feo, Fuerte y Formal" -- a Spanish proverb meaning "He was ugly, strong, and had dignity." He is buried at Pacific View Memorial Park in Newport Beach, California.