The most famous battle of the Wild West happened on October 26, 1881. It would not have been possible without Doc Holliday. A deputy, dentist, and outlaw, his life has inspired many shows, movies, and books. However, are the stories all true? While he did get into a number of shootings, he had not been alone. Together with the Earp brothers, he took down cowboys and did so while battling tuberculosis. Hold on to your horses and get ready to listen to the story of Doc Holliday!
His Childhood
His real name was actually John Henry Holliday. He was born in August 1851 to a father called Henry Burroughs Holliday, who previously served during the Mexican-American War. The older man also fought in the Civil War. In 1862, the family moved from Georgia to Florida because of the threat of Union troops. The family rose to prominence over there, his mother making sure he did not need to face the realities of war. Even though it was a fraught period in time, Holliday did not grow up violent.
His Childhood
A Great Student
Even though you might assume that he had been a rowdy student, this was not the truth. When he was little, he had a cleft palate and speech impediments. He got lessons from his mother and corrective surgery, so he was able to recover from them. Historical records show that he did well in school. He went to the Valdosta Institute, where he studied math, history, and rhetoric. He also learned French, Latin, and Ancient Greek. When he was 20 years old, he got his Doctor of Dental Surgery courtesy of the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery.
A Great Student
