History
James Dean (1931-1955) was an up-and-coming actor of the 1950s. He had starring roles in the films "East of Eden" (1955), "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955), and "Giant" (1956), in each case iconic roles. His life and career ended early due to a fatal car accident.
Death
Dean had developed an interest in car races, and trained as a driver. He purchased his own Porsche (Spyder) 550, which he nicknamed "Little Bastard". On 30 September, 1955, Dean was driving his car towards Salinas, the location of his scheduled race. He was passing through a seemingly empty area, when a speeding Ford Custom took a turn from a nearby junction.
The two drivers had little time to react before a high speed collision. The other driver, Donald Turnupseed, survived the accident with minor injuries due to the heavier armor of his vehicle. The light-armored Spyder was crushed along with its driver. The early demise of Dean, only added to the fascination of the audience with him. Teenagers across the united States hero-worshiped him.
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