Wyatt Earp Biography

Considered a hero of the American West, Wyatt Earp was a man who donned many hats. He was a policeman and a gunfighter who achieved iconic status for his role in the Gunfight at O.K. Corral, one of the most famous gunfights in the history of the American West. The actual gunfight lasted only for about 30 seconds, but it became Wyatt Earp’s claim to fame. Even though he is believed to have played the most important role in the fight, the other participants lawmen Virgil and Morgan Earp (his brothers) also played a significant role. As a youngster, Wyatt Earp had led a very colourful life—he had been arrested for acting as a pimp and was known to be a notorious gambler. Still, his unsavoury past did not deter the ambitious man from pursuing a career as a lawman. He landed the post of a deputy city marshal in Wichita and established a respectable image within a year. His brothers Virgil and Morgan were also working as lawmen, and their positions often brought the Earp brothers in conflict with various unlawful elements. One particular group of cowboys had threatened to kill the brothers, and this conflict continued for years before ultimately leading to the famous O.K. Corral Gunfight in which three outlaw Cowboys were killed.