71-741: Jean Pierre Carl Buron (12 July 1886 – 2 June 1956), known professionally as Jean Hersholt , was a Danish-American actor. He is most famous for starring on the CBS radio series Dr. Christian from 1937–1954, which later inspired a TV series with the same name from 1956-1957. He also co-starred with Shirley Temple in the film Heidi (1937). When asked how to pronounce his name, he told The Literary Digest , "in English her'sholt ; in Danish, hairs'hult ." From 1924 to 1955, he had 140 motion picture credits: 75 silent film and 65 "talkies" ; he directed four. Hersholt
142-666: A "Danish"), æbleskiver (puffed pan cakes), frikadeller (Danish veal and pork meatballs), flæskesteg (pork roast), and risengrød (rice pudding). Despite the importance of beer in modern Danish national culture, Danish immigrants were largely unsuccessful in penetrating the competitive American beer industry, which was saturated by immigrant German brew masters. In 1872, Danish Americans in Omaha , Nebraska , founded Den Danske Pioneer , or Danish Pioneer , an English - Danish newspaper. Now published in Hoffman Estates , Illinois , it
213-750: A Dane who was working for the Russian empire . In 1728, he documented the narrow body of water that separated North America and Asia, which was later named the Bering Sea in his honor. Bering was the first European to arrive in Alaska in 1741. In 1666, the Danish West India Company took control of the island of St. Thomas in the Caribbean and eventually, the islands of St. John in 1717 and St. Croix in 1733. The Danes brought African slaves to those islands, where
284-610: A deep cultural awareness of Danish literature, with popular fiction authors such as Hans Christian Andersen , did not exist among the agrarian bønder or common people of Denmark. Exceptions exist, of course; primary among these are a rich heritage of folklore, an affinity to art, and regional traditions involving food and feast days. As the Danes came to the U.S., they brought with them their traditional foods. Popular Danish cuisine includes kringle ( almond paste pastry), Wienerbrød and fastelavnsboller or Danish pastry (commonly called
355-536: A fugitive Anderson swore revenge. In Indiana he killed a key prosecution witness from Chapman's trial and drew further attention by passing poor-quality counterfeit currency in Michigan. Ultimately, Anderson was arrested, made a short-lived escape, and was killed in a police shootout while trying to flee on October 31, 1925. Anderson's remarkable criminal infamy included burglary, armed robbery, boot-legging, prison escape, counterfeiting, and murder. Dr. Christian Meets
426-590: A hairdresser but later became a cigar and wine merchant/vendor. Hersholt appeared in two of the first short films of the Danish film studio Nordisk Film in 1906, but did not find much success in his early years in Denmark. Hersholt emigrated to the United States in 1913, and spent the remainder of his acting career in America. Hersholt is best remembered for his roles in two iconic films. In 1924, he played Marcus Schouler in
497-535: A succession of benevolent fathers, doctors, professors, and European noblemen . Hersholt's final on-screen appearance was in the 1955 movie Run for Cover . In the 1936 movie The Country Doctor , starring the famous Dionne quintuplets children, Hersholt portrayed Dr. John Luke, a character based on Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe , the Canadian obstetrician who delivered and cared for the Dionne quintuplets. Two sequels followed
568-488: A youth. It is theorized that Hansen began killing prostitutes around 1980. After paying women for their services, he would kidnap, torture, and rape them, further binding and flying them to his cabin in the Knik River Valley in his private airplane. Once there, he would release his victim on a river sandbar, stalk and then kill them with a hunting knife or carbine as they fled through the woods. Apprehended in 1983, Hansen
639-458: Is Dr. Christian Meets the Women released in 1940. In 1956, two years after the long-running radio program concluded, the character Dr. Christian made the transition to television and its unique programming style. The script for this new television program was written by a young Gene Roddenberry , who would later become famous for creating the original TV series ' Star Trek ' in 1966. This led to
710-545: Is Grand View University , founded in 1896 in Des Moines , Iowa . Grand View University continues to maintain a large archival collection of Danish American history. Another institution, Dana College in Blair , Nebraska , operated from 1884 until 2010, but closed its doors in July 2010 due to failing enrollment. The Danish American Archive and Library that once resided at Dana College
781-589: Is a convicted murderer. He was born in Solrød Strand , Denmark in 1971 and emigrated to the United States when he was seven years old. In April 1991, Lundin strangled his mother to death in Maggie Valley , North Carolina , and, with the help of his father, he buried her body on a Cape Hatteras beach, where it was later found. In 1992, Lundin was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for the murder and in 1999 Lundin
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#1732858599657852-477: Is marked with a statue of Klods-Hans (English: Clumsy Hans), a Hans Christian Andersen character who left home to find his way in the world — much as Hersholt himself had done. Hersholt was honored for his services to the industry three times with an honorary Academy Award , first in 1940 and the second time in 1949 and the third time in 1950. In his honor, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
923-401: Is now independently situated in Blair . The archive contains the country's largest and broadest collection of materials relating to the life experience, cultural heritage and vital contributions to North America of the people of Danish extraction. Like other groups of Americans of Scandinavian descent, most Danes in America are Lutherans . Lutheran pioneer minister, Claus Lauritz Clausen ,
994-488: Is regarded as "Danish" national culture today was not widespread in the psyche of Danish emigrants during the nineteenth century immigration to the United States. It would take the European nationalism and class struggles of the late nineteenth century to effectively seed the ideas of a distinctive national cultural personality. While many Danish emigrants to the U.S. fared far better economically than emigrants from Eastern Europe,
1065-559: Is the oldest Danish American newspaper in publication. Snow College , located in Ephraim, Utah in Sanpete County, Utah , holds an annual Scandinavian Festival to honor their heritage and Danish as well as immigrants from other Scandinavian countries. The festival is held during two days in May. "And it expresses the warmth you’ll feel as you visit with us. You see, many of us are descendants of
1136-552: The silent film classic Greed directed by Erich von Stroheim . A decade later, he co-starred with world-famous child actress Shirley Temple as her beloved grandfather living in the remote Alps in the 1937 film version of the classic 1880 children's book, Heidi , written by Swiss author Johanna Spyri . Throughout his extensive film career, he portrayed a wide range of characters, from villains in early silent films to supporting roles where his gentle Danish language accent and pleasant voice made him well-suited to portray
1207-603: The 1950s and into the 1960s and was hosted by John Charles Daly . Hersholt married Vita Andersen on 11 April 1914. They had one son, Allan Hersholt. He was the paternal half-uncle (by marriage) of actor Leslie Nielsen and former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Erik Nielsen . Hersholt died of cancer in Hollywood in 1956 and is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale , California. His grave
1278-713: The American Revolution , Charles Zanco (1808–1836) who died at the Alamo in March 1836 in the struggle for Texan independence , and Peter Lassen (1800–1859), a blacksmith from Copenhagen who led a group of adventurers from Missouri to California in 1839. The trail established by Lassen was followed by the "forty-niners" during the California Gold Rush. Lassen is considered one of the most important early settlers of California. From 1820 and 1850, about 60 Danes settled in
1349-548: The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) radio network as part of the ' Vaseline Program ' opening with the theme music, "Rainbow on the River." The small-town physician's good humor, innate common sense, and scientific training helped drive off a series of villainous types attempting to disrupt the peaceful lifestyle of River's End. The radio series, produced by Dorothy McCann, became a popular long-running hit. It aired on
1420-561: The University of Southern Denmark . Hersholt was appointed a knight of the Danish Order of the Dannebrog and awarded a medal in 1948, partly due to this literary academic endeavor. On August 31, 1952, the accomplished elder Hersholt appeared as the mystery guest on the popular long-running CBS-TV panel/quiz show What's My Line? less than four years before his death. The show aired from
1491-446: The melting pot ... the Danes were the least cohesive group and the first to lose consciousness of their origins." Historians have pointed to the higher rate of English use among Danes, their willingness to marry non-Danes, and their eagerness to become naturalized citizens as factors that contributed to their rapid assimilation , as well as their interactions with the already more assimilated German American community. Much that
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#17328585996571562-433: The 1870s and 1930s in heavily Danish communities such as Racine, Wisconsin , Elk Horn, Iowa ; Ashland, Michigan ; West Denmark, Wisconsin ; Nysted, Nebraska ; Tyler, Minnesota ; Viborg, South Dakota ; Kenmare, North Dakota ; and Solvang, California . Omaha, Nebraska and neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa , had major colonies of Danes for many years. The one major still-operating historically Danish American college
1633-515: The CBS network for 17 years until 6 January 1954. Hersholt was so strongly associated with the role that he received mail asking for real-life medical advice. The Dr. Christian series spawned several spin-offs, making it one of the earliest media franchises. For example, Hersholt co-wrote a Dr. Christian novel and starred in a series of six family feature films as Dr. Christian in a franchise spanning two years, from 1939 to 1941. An example of one of these films
1704-581: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) members who settled in United States in 1847. They settled in Utah , before it became a state, which had been under Mexican control until 1848. There were 17,000 such immigrants, many of these settled in small farming communities in the Sanpete and Sevier counties. Today, these counties respectively have the second and fifth largest percentages of Danish Americans in
1775-593: The Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America . In addition, a large number of Danish Americans belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Between 1849 and 1904, some 17,000 Danish Mormons and their children made the journey to the Church's settlements in Utah , making Danes second only to the British in number of foreigners recruited by the church to
1846-553: The Motion Picture and Television Fund. This fund provides medical care and support for Hollywood industry employees at various levels, offering assistance when experiencing difficulties due to illness, old age, or other challenges. This occurred just four years after the establishment of America's "social safety net" with the passage of Social Security old age pension system by the Roosevelt administration . The fund Hersholt supported
1917-532: The U.S. Army in the Fifth Cavalry and fought in many major Indian campaigns. After his discharge in 1891, Madsen became a deputy U.S. marshal in the Oklahoma Territory, where he apprehended or killed many outlaws. In 1898, he joined Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, serving as Quartermaster Sergeant. After more service as a U.S. marshal, and at the outset of World War I, he tried to enlist in the U.S. Army but
1988-471: The US with their families, but by the 1890s, family immigration accounted for only 25% of the total. Many of these immigrants eventually returned to Denmark. Greater land inequality in certain areas of Denmark was linked to higher rates of emigration. In addition, Mormon missionaries converted many Danes who moved to Utah. Danish Americans assimilated into American society more quickly than other European groups and were
2059-460: The United States after 1865 did so for economic reasons. By 1865, there had been a large increase in the Danish population in Europe because of the improvement in the medicine and food industries. It caused a high rate of poverty and ultimately resulted in a significant and rapid increase in Danish migration to other countries. Another reason for migration was the sale of lands. Many Danes became farmers in
2130-556: The United States after 1865 did so for economic reasons. The Danish population in Europe had grown significantly by 1865 due to advancements in medicine and food industries, leading to higher poverty rates and an increase in Danish migration to other countries. The sale of lands was another reason for migration, with many Danes becoming farmers in Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Dakotas. During the 1870s, almost half of all Danish immigrants settled in
2201-648: The United States began in the middle of the 19th century. The first Dane known to have arrived in North America was The Reverend Rasmus Jensen , a priest of the Church of Denmark (Evangelical-Lutheran). He was the chaplain aboard an expedition to the New World commissioned by King Christian IV of Denmark in 1619. The expedition was made up of two small Danish ships Enhiørningen and Lamprenen , with 64 sailors who were Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, and Germans. Captained by
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2272-643: The United States every year. Between 1820 and 1990 there was a population of 375,000 Danes; a vast majority of whom emigrated between 1860 and 1930. The greatest Danish emigration occurred in 1882, when 11,618 Danes settled in the United States. Danish immigrant communities have been linked to the emergence of the dairy industry in the United States. In the late 19th century, Denmark was a world leader in dairy production. A 2024 study found that American "counties with more Danes in 1880 subsequently both specialized in dairying and used more modern practices." The first significant wave of Danish immigrants consisted mainly of
2343-483: The United States. Between 1864 and 1920, 50,000 Danes emigrated from Schleswig , Jutland , where the use of Danish language was banned in schools following the Danish defeat in the Second Schleswig War and Prussia seizing control. They were called North Slesvigers, however, most of these Danes are recorded in the census statistics as immigrants from Germany rather than Denmark. Most Danes who immigrated to
2414-1045: The United States. Willam Christensen (1902–2001) especially, was the founder of the San Francisco Ballet. The three brothers were born into a Danish-American Mormon family in Brigham City, Utah. During the early days of Hollywood film making, numerous Danes and children of Danish emigrants directed, or acted on the silver screen, to include: Ann Forrest , Anders Randolf , Bodil Rosing , Benjamin Christensen , Carl Brisson , Carl Gerard , Ellen Corby , Gale Sondergaard , Gwili Andre , James Cruze , Janet Leigh , Colleen Gray , Jean Hersholt , Johannes Poulsen , Karl Dane , Lillie Hayward , Max Ree (1931 Oscar), Otto Mathiesen, Robert Andersen, Seena Owen , Svend Gade, Tambi Larsen , Torben Meyer , Winna Winfred and William Orlamond . More to modern times, many Danes are actively involved in
2485-405: The United States. During the 1870s, almost half of all Danish immigrants to the United States settled in family groups. By the 1890s, family immigration made up only of 25 percent of the total. It has been suggested that many of these immigrants eventually returned to Denmark. Areas of Denmark with greater land inequality had greater emigration. According to the United States census of 2000 ,
2556-484: The Women Dr. Christian Meets the Women is a 1940 American film directed by William C. McGann , one of the series of six Dr. Christian films featuring Jean Hersholt . Professor Kenneth Parker, a God-fearing physical culturist, arrives to work in the serene little town of River's End. He claims to be a specialist and top authority on health matters. The town physician, Dr. Paul Christian, reacts to Parker's promises to
2627-597: The famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen is now housed in the special collections division of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. . He translated over 160 of Andersen's fairy tales into English. These were published in 1949 in six volumes as The Complete Andersen , this work is "... rated as The standard translation, being one of the best" in English cited by the Hans Christian Andersen Center of
2698-532: The first president of the Norwegian-Danish Lutheran Conference , traveled to Denmark and influenced religious leaders to send pastors to America. The oldest Danish Lutheran congregation is Emmaus Lutheran Church in Racine , Wisconsin , founded August 22, 1851. Nearby Kenosha is home to the second oldest Danish Lutheran congregation, St. Mary's Lutheran Church, which is the largest congregation in
2769-472: The home to the largest group of Danish Americans in the United States. Racine , 25 miles south of Milwaukee has the largest concentration of city dwellers with Danish origin. A number of other communities were founded by Danish Americans or have a large Danish American community, including: Additionally, Danish Americans helped settle three U.S. counties: Montcalm , Michigan ; St. Louis , Minnesota ; and Sanpete , Utah . Figures from 2000 have shown that
2840-562: The late 1930s through the mid 1950s, Neil Reagan , the brother of actor and future U.S. president Ronald Reagan , worked as a traveling industry spokesman for the General Electric Company . Additionally, Neil directed the earlier CBS radio series Dr. Christian , with Jean Hersholt. In 1939, Hersholt broadened his social interests and played a critical role in establishing the Motion Picture Relief Fund , now known as
2911-430: The late 1980s. Additionally, a few stars claim connection to Denmark via their Danish-American parents. For example, actors Leslie Nielsen , Viggo Mortensen , the siblings Virginia Madsen and Michael Madsen were born to Danish fathers and American mothers. Likewise, actress Scarlett Johansson was also born to a Danish father who immigrated to New York City and married an American woman. Christian Febiger
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2982-718: The least united in preserving their cultural heritage. Danish immigration to the Americas began with Denmark's colonization with the arrival of the Danish West Indies Company to the Virgin Islands in the 1660s. A small number of Danes continued to migrate to the North American continent, where the Dutch colony of New Netherlands and the religious haven of Pennsylvania also housed early Danes. The onset of Danish mass migration to
3053-424: The mouth of Churchill River, settling at what is now Churchill, Manitoba. The two ships were put side-by-side and prepared for winter as best as they could. It was a disastrous winter. Cold, famine, and scurvy destroyed most of the men. Jensen had died on February 20, 1620. Only Munk and two sailors survived to return, leaving no settlement in the New World. The frigate Enhiørningen had been broken down by ice during
3124-559: The movie industry. However today's air transportation no longer necessitates a Dane moving to America to be an artistic part of Hollywood. Among the few Danes who have moved to the United States to pursue careers in Hollywood is Connie Inge-Lise Nielsen , who was born in Denmark and today lives in Sausalito, California. As well as Mikael Salomon , a director and cinematographer who began his career in Danish cinema before coming to Hollywood in
3195-521: The movie. Hersholt wanted to portray the role on radio but could not obtain the rights. He chose to create his own doctor character for radio. Since he was a fan of fairy tale anthology author Hans Christian Andersen , he borrowed that name for his character portrayal. This character, "Dr. Paul Christian," was a philosophical doctor who practiced in the typical Midwestern town of River's End. He received assistance from Nurse Judy Price and occasionally from others. On 7 November 1937, Dr. Christian debuted on
3266-584: The navigator and explorer, Jens Munk, the ships were searching for the Northwest Passage . After sailing into Frobisher Bay and Ungava Bay, Munk eventually passed through Hudson Strait and reached Digges Island (at the northern tip of Quebec) on August 20. They then set out across the Bay towards the southwest. By early September, they had not yet found a passage. The party arrived in Hudson Bay on September 7, landed at
3337-461: The other hand, begins to warn the women about the dangers with wholesale diets, claiming that all diets should be tailored to fit the individual and advising the women not to listen to the professor. The professor's teachings result in the disruption of the town women's eating routines. They also disrupt the peace and quiet in the Browning family life, causing Mrs. Browning and her husband to argue about
3408-471: The plucky Scandinavians who crossed ocean and plain to settle our gorgeous valley. That proud past is part of our everyday lives. And we delight in sharing it with visitors." It features costumes, dancing, storytelling, entertainment, historical tours, craft and food booths. Danish Americans also founded a few schools to promote traditionalism. Danish "folk schools," which focused more on learning outcomes than grades or diplomas, were operated primarily between
3479-452: The professor's teachings and intrusions on the town life. The Browning's daughter, Kitty, has taken an interest in the professor's assistant, Bill Ferris, and started an extreme diet to seem more pleasing to him. Kitty soon collapses from starvation. Dr. Christian claims the professor is a fraud and a charlatan. The town doesn't listen to his warnings. Kitty's condition gets worse and Dr. Christian, exhausted from an abnormal workload because of
3550-408: The professor's teachings, manages to visit her. While examining her he discovers that the professor has given the girl, and the other women, benzedrine. Dr. Christian finally discloses the professor and his cultist teachings as a public hazard. The heresies of the professor come to Bill's knowledge, and he finally realizes that his boss is a fraud. He quits and runs to Kitty's bedside. With the help of
3621-506: The renowned science fiction franchise over the next few decades. The new 'Dr. Christian' TV show differed from the radio series by introducing a new younger character portrayed by Macdonald Carey as the elder Christian's nephew, "Dr. Mark Christian". The show was syndicated through CBS and its production company, Ziv Television , and ran for two seasons from 1956-1957. It was mostly broadcast at non-traditional times on local stations nationwide, after Jean Hersholt's death in early 1956. From
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#17328585996573692-626: The settlers in the Dutch colony of New Netherland , now New York . After 1750, Danish families in the Protestant Moravian Brethren denomination immigrated to Pennsylvania , where they settled in the Bethlehem area alongside German Moravians. Until 1850, most Danes who emigrated to North America were unmarried men. During this period, some Danes achieved notability and recognition. Among them were Hans Christian Febiger (1749–1796), one of George Washington 's most trusted officers during
3763-463: The slaves were put to work in the snuff, cotton and sugar industries. These early settlers began to establish trade with New England . In 1917, they sold the islands to the United States, and they were renamed U.S. Virgin Islands . In the early seventeenth century, individual Danish immigrants became established in North America. Scandinavians—Danes and Norwegians in particular—made up a large portion of
3834-496: The state. Nebraska , Iowa , Minnesota and Wisconsin have the largest concentrations of non-Mormon Danish Americans. The states with the largest Mormon Danish American populations are Utah and Idaho —and in the case of Idaho, particularly the southeastern part of the state. Smaller but significant numbers of Danish Americans have also become Methodists , Baptists , Roman Catholics , and Seventh-day Adventists . Two cities, Chicago and Racine , Wisconsin , claim to be
3905-550: The states with the largest populations of Danish Americans are as follows: About 30,000 Danish Americans continue to speak the Danish language . According to the 2000 US Census Bureau, 33,400 people spoke Danish at home; that figure was down to 29,467 five years later (2005 American Community Survey), a decrease of about 11.8%. The Library of Congress has noted that Danish Americans, more so than other Scandinavian Americans, "spread nationwide and comparatively quickly disappeared into
3976-459: The ten Marine Corps camps on Okinawa, is named in honor of Pvt. Hansen. William S. Knudsen , an emigrant from Copenhagen, Denmark, and leading executive in the automobile industry, accepted President Franklin Roosevelt's urging to manage the task of overseeing America's vast wartime military armament and supply production. In 1942, Knudsen accepted a brevet commission and served for the duration of
4047-404: The three states with the largest Danish American population in the United States are California , Utah and Minnesota . For sources see the main article on each person listed. The three Christensen brothers: Lew , Harold, and Willam are well known in the history of American ballet. The three carved out careers as choreographers, teachers and directors, and clearly helped ballet flourish in
4118-484: The universities of Heidelberg and Uppsala, and emigrated to the United States around the start of the 20th century. Anderson, along with Gerald Chapman (America's first Public Enemy Number One), operated a Prohibition-era gang during the late 1910s until the mid-1920s. After settling in New York City, he and his associates successfully robbed a U.S. Mail truck of $ 2.4 million in cash, stocks, bonds, and jewelry, an act that
4189-463: The war as a Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army. Danish born Congressional Medal of Honor recipients Robert Hansen (Robert Christian Hansen) was a serial killer, who between 1980 and 1983 murdered between 17 and 21 people near Anchorage, Alaska. Hansen was born in Estherville, Iowa, to Christian and Edna Hansen. Hansen's father was a Danish immigrant baker and he worked in his father's bakery as
4260-525: The winter. However, the smaller Lamprenen could be salvaged. The return trip lasted two months. The surviving crew members aboard the Lamprenen reached Bergen, Norway on September 20, 1620. The earliest documented Danish immigrants to the new world, Jan Jansen and his wife Engeltje, along with their children, arrived in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam in 1636. More than a century after Christian IV's expedition came explorer Vitus Jonassen Bering (1681–1741),
4331-428: The women in town of dramatic weight loss, if they followed his advice. The head of the town women's club, Mrs. Browning, is charmed by the questionable professor. Parker and invites him to her home and to have a lecture when the club is meeting. He is welcome to use the club as his forum for his teachings. The professor starts teaching the women about strict diet being the best road to self-satisfaction. Dr. Christian, on
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#17328585996574402-635: Was an American Revolutionary War commander, born on Fyn , he became a confidante of General George Washington and was an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati . Known by the moniker "Old Denmark", Febiger also served as Treasurer of Pennsylvania from November 13, 1789, until his death nearly seven years later. Chris Madsen , the famous lawman of the Old West, was born Chris Madsen Rørmose in Denmark. After emigrating in 1876, he served for 15 years in
4473-482: Was at the time the largest robbery in U.S. history and became known as the "Great Post Office Robbery of 1921." After even more robberies, Anderson and Chapman were finally captured, tried, and sentenced to 25 years in prison, to be served at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary. However, after serving a mere seven months Anderson and Chapman both escaped. Chapman was captured shortly after his escape and while
4544-493: Was born Jean Pierre Carl Buron on 12 July 1886 in Copenhagen , the capital of Denmark. He claimed to have been born into a family of actors, but in reality, both of his parents, Henri Pierre Buron and Clara (née Petersen), were hairdressers. Henri was the son of a French Roman Catholic father and a Danish Protestant mother, while Clara was the daughter of a Danish Protestant father and a Danish Jewish mother. Initially, Henri worked as
4615-455: Was convicted in 1984 and sentenced to 461 years plus life, without chance of parole. He was imprisoned at Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward, Alaska. The Hansen case served as inspiration for the action thriller Naked Fear (2007). Thor Nis Christiansen was a serial killer from Solvang, California. He was born in Denmark and emigrated to Inglewood with his parents and on to Solvang when he
4686-541: Was five years old. His father, Nis, ran a restaurant in Solvang. In sum, Thor Christiansen was obsessed with fantasies of shooting women and having sex with their corpses. Christiansen killed four women and his fifth victim escaped with serious wounds. After conviction, he was stabbed to death in Folsom State Prison in 1981. Bjarne Skounborg , born Peter Kenneth Bostrøm Lundin, (more commonly known as Peter Lundin ),
4757-828: Was later expanded to include those working in the television field . As president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , Hersholt was actively involved in various activities to promote and preserve American cinema. On March 20, 1948, during the 20th anniversary of the academy's founding, he presented special awards to several pioneers of the American motion pictures/film industry . The recipients included Colonel William N. Selig , Albert E. Smith , George K. Spoor , and Thomas Armat . These individuals were often referred to as "the Men Who Invented Hollywood" . Hersholt's extensive collection of books and other materials by
4828-566: Was named by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He is one of only 11 people with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . One is located at 6501 Hollywood Boulevard for his work in motion pictures, and another one is located at 6701 Hollywood Boulevard for his work in radio. Danish Americans Danish Americans ( Danish : Dansk-amerikanere ) are Americans who have ancestral roots originated fully or partially from Denmark . There are approximately 1,300,000 Americans of Danish origin or descent. Most Danes who came to
4899-476: Was rejected due to his age Robert A. Arensen, FM1, USN, lost his life on December 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor when the U.S.S. Helena was torpedoed. Arensen came from Perth Amboy, NJ. Dale M. Hansen , Pvt., USMC, earned his nation's highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his outstanding heroism on May 7, 1945, in the fight for Hill 60 on Okinawa. He was killed by enemy sniper fire three days later. Hansen came from Wisner, Nebraska. Camp Hansen, one of
4970-429: Was released from prison for capacity reasons and deported back to Denmark. After his return to Denmark he was convicted for killing his girlfriend and her two sons and is currently serving life imprisonment . George Anderson also known as George "Dutch" Anderson was an early Prohibition -era gang criminal in the mid-1920s. Anderson was born Ivan Dahl von Teler to a wealthy Danish family circa 1880, graduated from
5041-415: Was used to establish the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California . After his death in 1956, his philanthropic endeavors led to the establishment of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award . This honorary Academy Award , also known as the "Oscar," is presented to an "individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry." The fund
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