February 8, 1931: James Dean is born.

For the only three lead roles he played during his painfully short career (he died over a year before his last film was released), James Dean was nominated for two Academy Awards, two BAFTAs, and a Golden Globe. Today, he is remembered not only as a young, talented actor taken too soon, but as one of America’s greatest, most enduring cultural icons as well. Between Cal Trask and Jim Stark, James Dean seemed to represent the fears, the ideals, and the hopes of an entire generation through his films. Not only that, but his sensitive portrayals revealed him to be a surprisingly educated, intelligent actor as well as the brooding, emotional artist we think of him as. His undeniable smoldering charisma, and the way he exuded confidence and cool with every step has elevated him (and his roles) over the years to an iconic status that has only ever been attained by people like Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. In both life and death, as both a man and an actor, he fully embodied his own quote:

“Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.”