Profile of the Day: Wyatt Earp

Posted March 19, 2024 by Amanda | No Comment

Today marks the 176th birthday of lawman Wyatt Earp, who is best remembered for his involvement in the infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Considered one of the most famous shootouts in the history of the Wild West, the 30-second gunfight resulted in the death of three outlaws. Earp was the only person to emerge from the shootout unharmed.

Image: Wyatt Earp / Wikimedia Commons

Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was born on March 19, 1848 in Monmouth, Illinois to Nicholas Porter Earp and his second wife, Virginia Ann Cooksey. He was named after his father’s commanding officer in the Mexican-American War. During the Civil War, a young Earp ran away from his home on several occasions to try to join the Union Army despite being only 13 years old and too young to enlist. In 1864, his father organized a wagon train to head west to San Bernardino, California.

In 1869, Earp re-located to Lamar, Missouri where his father served as the justice of the peace. It was in Lamar that Wyatt got his first job in law enforcement as the local constable. He moved constantly throughout his life, eventually moving to Tombstone, Arizona with his brothers. The Earps were targets of death threats by a group of outlaw cowboys, the Clanton-McLaurys. Before long, tensions escalated into a gunfight on October 26, 1881 at the O.K. Corral. In the end, three outlaws were killed.

Explore Wyatt Earp’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re related to the legendary lawman of the Wild West.