Origins & Early Life

Tyson Beckford (born December 19, 1970) is a Jamaican-American model and actor best known as a Ralph Lauren Polo model. He was also the host of both seasons of the Bravo program Make Me a Supermodel. Beckford has been described as one of the most successful male supermodels of all time, achieving fame and huge contracts similar to the female models who had huge success in the 1990s. Beckford was born in Bronx, New York, on December 19, 1970, to a Jamaican mother, Hillary Dixon Hall, and a Panamanian father of Chinese-Jamaican descent, Lloyd Beckford.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Soon after he was born, his mother took the family back to Jamaica, where they lived for seven years before moving to Rochester, New York, where he attended and graduated from Pittsford Mendon High School. During his school years, Tyson was often teased about his looks. In 1992, Erik Lauren Counsel of the hip hop magazine The Source approached Beckford "in Washington Square Park" about being "in a style piece" in the magazine New York City. In an August 2021 VLADTV interview, Beckford clarified that nobody named Jeff Jones "discovered him" and said that "the person who gets the credit is Erik." Confusion about...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abraham Maslow — Contemporary (Died in 1970) (1970): Pioneering American psychologist known for the Hierarchy of Needs and self-actualization theory.
• Alan Shearer — Contemporary (Born in 1970) (1970): English football legend, record goalscorer, and respected pundit.
• Alf Prøysen — Contemporary (Died in 1970) (1970): Pioneering Norwegian cultural figure: author, songwriter, and poet.
• Al-Ghazali — Shared historical date (12-19 · Died) (1111): Influential Sunni polymath, theologian, and mystic of the 11th century.
• Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah — Shared historical date (12-19 · Died) (975): Fourth Fatimid Caliph who founded Cairo and moved the dynasty's center to Egypt.
• Alfonso Caso — Historical peer (Died in 1970) (1970): Pioneering Mexican archaeologist renowned for pre-Columbian studies.
• Alice Hamilton — Historical peer (Died in 1970) (1970): Pioneering toxicologist and advocate for occupational health and safety.
• 21 Savage — Historical peer (Born in 1992) (1992): Atlanta-based rapper known for his distinctive style and career evolution.
• 6lack — Historical peer (Born in 1992) (1992): American R&B singer, songwriter, and rapper known professionally as 6lack.
• Abdul Qadeer Khan — Historical peer (Died in 2021) (2021): Pakistani nuclear physicist, known as the 'father of Pakistan's atomic weapons program'
• 1970 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1970
• December 19 (12-19) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on December 19