Martial artist. Action hero. Internet legend.
A life lived with purpose, discipline, and an unbreakable spirit.
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris grew up in humble beginnings in Ryan, Oklahoma. After serving in the United States Air Force — where he was stationed in South Korea and discovered martial arts — he returned home and built one of the most remarkable careers in American entertainment.
Before he ever stepped in front of a camera, Norris was a six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate Champion. He founded his own martial arts system, Chun Kuk Do, and taught students including Steve McQueen, Priscilla Presley, and Bob Barker.
When his friend Bruce Lee cast him as the antagonist in The Way of the Dragon (1972), a new chapter began. Over the next three decades, Norris became one of the most recognizable action stars in the world — from Missing in Action and Delta Force to the long-running CBS hit Walker, Texas Ranger.
But perhaps his most unexpected legacy arrived in 2005, when the internet collectively decided to turn him into a folk hero of absurd proportions. The "Chuck Norris Facts" meme became one of the defining phenomena of early internet culture — and Norris embraced it with the good humor that defined his later years.
Dive into the internet's greatest collection of Chuck Norris facts, or explore his remarkable career in film and television.