Origins & Early Life

Ramón Gil Samaniego (February 6, 1899 – October 30, 1968), known professionally as Ramon Novarro, was a Mexican actor. He began his career in American silent films in 1917 and eventually became a leading man and one of the top box-office attractions of the 1920s and early '30s. Novarro was promoted by MGM as a "Latin lover" and became known as a sex symbol after the death of Rudolph Valentino. He is recognized as the first Latin American actor to succeed in Hollywood.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Novarro was born Ramón Gil Samaniego on February 6, 1899, in Durango City, Durango, north-west Mexico, to Dr. Mariano N. Samaniego, and his wife, Leonor Pérez Gavilán. The family moved to Los Angeles to escape the Mexican Revolution in 1913. Novarro's direct ancestors came from the Castilian town of Burgos, whence two brothers emigrated to the New World in the seventeenth century.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Allan Ellenberger, Novarro's biographer, writes: The Samaniegos were an influential and well-respected family in Mexico. Many Samaniegos had prominent positions in the affairs of state and were held in high esteem by the president. Ramon's grandfather, Mariano Samaniego, was a well-known physician in Juarez. Known as a charitable...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Al Capone — Contemporary (Born in 1899) (1899): Notorious American gangster and businessman during the Prohibition era.
• Alfred Hitchcock — Contemporary (Born in 1899) (1899): Master of Suspense, influential English filmmaker known for psychological thrillers.
• Bruce Catton — Contemporary (Born in 1899) (1899): American historian and journalist renowned for his popular accounts of the Civil War.
• Ajay Devgn — Contemporary (Born in 1968) (1968): Veteran Indian actor and filmmaker known for diverse roles in Hindi cinema.
• Anastacia — Contemporary (Born in 1968) (1968): American singer-songwriter known for her powerful voice and 'sprock' fusion.
• Barry Sanders — Contemporary (Born in 1968) (1968): Elite NFL running back known for unmatched quickness and agility.
• Adam Weishaupt — Shared historical date (02-06 · Born) (1748): German philosopher, founder of the Bavarian Illuminati, and legal scholar.
• Aldus Manutius — Shared historical date (02-06 · Died) (1515): Pioneering printer and humanist who founded the influential Aldine Press.
• Angelica Kauffman — Shared historical date (10-30 · Born) (1741): Swiss history painter renowned for her successful careers in London and Rome.
• Claude Lévi-Strauss — Shared historical date (10-30 · Died) (2009): Pioneering structuralist anthropologist whose work redefined human culture and myth.
• 1899 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1899
• February 6 (02-06) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on February 6
• 1968 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1968
• October 30 (10-30) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on October 30