__NOTOC__ Year 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar and a common year starting on Saturday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar.

Events

January

January 18 – Eugene B. Ely lands on the deck of the USS ''Pennsylvania'' stationed in San Francisco harbor, marking the first time an aircraft lands on a ship.

January 21 – The first Monte Carlo races (Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo) are held.

February

February 18 – The first official air mail flight takes place from Allahabad, India to Naini, India, when Henri Pequet carries 6,500 letters a distance of 13 km.

March

March 19 – International Women's Day is celebrated for the first time.

March 25 – A fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City, United States, kills 146.

April

April 8 – Heike Kamerlingh Onnes discovers Superconductivity

April 13 – Mexican Revolution: Rebels take Agua Prieta on the Sonora–Arizona border; government troops take the town back April 17 when the rebel leader "Red" López is drunk.

April 19 – Mexican Revolution: Francisco I. Madero's troops besiege Ciudad Juárez but general Juan J. Navarro refuses his demand of surrender.

May

May 8 – Mexican Revolution: Pancho Villa launches an attack against government troops in Ciudad Juarez without Madero's permission. Government troops surrender May 10.

May 17 – Mexican Revolution: Porfirio Diaz is convinced to resign but does not do so officially.

May 21 – Mexican Revolution: A peace treaty is signed between the rebels of Madero and government troops in Ciudad Juarez.

May 24 – Mexican Revolution: Government troops fire at anti-Diaz demonstrators in Mexico City, killing about 200 (officials claim only 40).

May 25 – Mexican Revolution: Porfirio Diaz signs his resignation and leaves for Veracruz; on May 31 he leaves for exile in France.

June

June 7 – Mexican Revolution: Francisco Madero arrives in Mexico City just after a local earthquake.

July

July 1 – The presence of the German warship ''Panther'' in the Moroccan port of Agadir triggers the Agadir Crisis.

July 24 – Hiram Bingham rediscovers Machu Picchu in Peru.

August

August 22 – The theft of the ''Mona Lisa'' is discovered in the Louvre.

September

September 25 – The French Navy ship ''Liberté'' explodes at anchor in Toulon, France killing around 300 on both ship and the neighbouring area.

September 29 – Italy declares war on Ottoman Empire.

September 30 – The Austin Dam breaks, wiping out the town of Austin, Pennsylvania, United States, killing 78.

October

October 10 – The Wuchang Uprising starts the Xinhai Revolution that leads to the founding of the Republic of China.

October 16 – Mexican Revolution: Felix Diaz, nephew of Porfirio Diaz, occupies the port of Veracruz as a sign of rebellion against Madero.

November

November 1 – World's first combat aerial bombing mission takes place in Libya during the Italo-Turkish War. Second Lieutenant Giulio Gavotti of Italy drops several small bombs.

November 5 – Italy annexes Tripoli and Cyrenaica (this act is confirmed by an act of the Italian Parliament on February 25, 1912).

December

December – Delhi Durbar held to mark the coronation of King George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary as Emperor and Empress of India and the transfer of the capital of the British Raj from Calcutta to Delhi.

December 14 – Roald Amundsen's expedition reaches the South Pole.

December 29 – Sun Yat-sen is elected the first Provisional President of the Republic of China.

Date unknown

The ''1911 Encyclopædia Britannica'' is published.

New Zealand-born British physicist Ernest Rutherford deduces the existence of a compact atomic nucleus from scattering experiments.

Births

January–February

January 1

* Roman Totenberg, Polish-American violinist

* Hank Greenberg, American baseball player (d. 1986)

January 3 – John Sturges, American film director (d. 1982)

January 5 – Jean-Pierre Aumont, French actor (d. 2001)

January 7 – Butterfly McQueen, American actress (d. 1995)

January 11 – Zenko Suzuki, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 2004)

January 13 – Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Premier of Queensland (d. 2005)

January 17 – George Joseph Stigler, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991)

January 18 – José María Arguedas, Peruvian novelist, poet, and anthropologist (d. 1969)

January 19

* Ken Nelson, American record producer and music executive (d. 2008)

* Choor Singh, former judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore (d. 2009)

January 20 – Wendell J. Westcott, American carillonneur (d. 2010)

January 22

* Bruno Kreisky, Chancellor of Austria (d. 1990)

* Mary Hayley Bell, English dramatist, wife of Sir John Mills (d 2005)

January 24 – C. L. Moore, American writer (d. 1987)

January 25 – Kurt Maetzig, German director

January 26 – Polykarp Kusch, German-born physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1993)

January 28 – Johan van Hulst, Dutch politician

January 29 – Peter von Siemens, German industrialist (d. 1986)

January 30 – Roy Eldridge, American jazz musician (d. 1989)

February 5 – Jussi Björling, Swedish tenor (d. 1960)

February 6 – Ronald Reagan, actor and 40th President of the United States (d. 2004)

February 8 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (d. 1979)

February 11 – Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh (Carroll Daly), fifth president of Ireland (d. 1978)

February 12 – Stephen H. Sholes, American recording executive (d. 1968)

February 13 – Jean Muir, American actress (d. 1996)

February 14

* Willem Johan Kolff, Dutch inventor of hemodialysis (d. 2009)

* Eduardo Serrano, Venezuelan musician and composer (d. 2008)

February 17

* Oskar Seidlin, Silesian-born Jewish-American literary scholar (d. 1984)

* Orrin Tucker, American bandleader and composer (d. 2011)

February 19 – Merle Oberon, British actress (d. 1979)

February 28 – Otakar Vávra, Czech director

March–April

March 3 – Jean Harlow, American actress (d. 1937)

March 6 – Nikolai Baibakov, Soviet statesman (d. 2008)

March 8 – Alan Hovhaness, American composer (d. 2000)

March 9 – Ebby Halliday, American realtor

March 12 – Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican president (d. 1979)

March 13

* L. Ron Hubbard, American science fiction author and founder of ''Scientology'' (d. 1986)

* Marie Rudisill, American author and ''Fruitcake Lady'' (d. 2006)

March 15 – Ursula Vaughan Williams, British author (d. 2007)

March 16

* Pierre Harmel, Belgian Prime Minister (d. 2009)

* Josef Mengele, German Nazi war criminal (d. 1979)

March 18 – Al Benton, American baseball player (d. 1968)

March 20 – Alfonso García Robles, Mexican diplomat and politician, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1991)

March 24

* Joseph Barbera, American cartoonist (d. 2006)

* Jane Drew, English architect (d. 1996)

March 25 – Jack Ruby, American killer of Lee Harvey Oswald (d. 1967)

March 26

* Bernard Katz, German-born biophysicist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 2003)

* Tennessee Williams, American playwright (''A Streetcar Named Desire'') (d. 1983)

March 27 – Erich Heller, British philosopher, long resident in the U.S. (d. 1990)

March 29 – Brigitte Horney, German-born actress (d. 1988)

March 31

* Elisabeth Grümmer, Alsatian soprano (d. 1986)

* Freddie Green, jazz guitarist (d. 1987)

April 3 – Michael Woodruff, British/Australian pioneering transplant surgeon (d. 2001)

April 6 – Feodor Felix Konrad Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1979)

April 8

* Melvin Calvin, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1997)

* Emil Cioran, Romanian philosopher and essayist (d. 1995)

* Ichiro Fujiyama, Japanese composer and singer (d. 1993)

April 11 – Stanislawa Walasiewicz, Polish-born runner (d. 1980)

April 13 – William Tuttle, American makeup artist (d. 2007)

April 15 – Muhammad Metwally Al Shaarawy, Egyptian Muslim jurist (d. 1998)

April 17 – Lester Rodney, American journalist (d. 2009)

April 18

* Maurice Goldhaber, Austrian-American physicist (d. 2011)

* Huntington Hartford, American businessman and heir to A&P; (d. 2008)

April 23 – Ronald Neame, British film cinematographer, producer, screenwriter and director (d. 2010)

April 26 – Marianne Hoppe, German actress (d. 2002)

May–June

May 1 – Anthony Salerno, member of the U.S. La Cosa Nostra and a leader in the Genovese Family (d. 1992)

May 5 – Andor Lilienthal, Hungarian Chess Grandmaster (d. 2010)

May 6 – Frank Nelson, American actor (d. 1986)

May 7 – Ishirō Honda, Japanese film director (d. 1993)

May 8 – Robert Johnson, American guitarist and singer (d. 1938)

May 10 – Bel Kaufman, German-born American author

May 11

* Phil Silvers, American actor and comedian (d. 1985)

* Doodles Weaver, American actor and comedian (d. 1983)

May 14 – Ne Win, President of Burma (d. 2002)

May 15 – Max Frisch, Swiss author (d. 1991)

May 17

* Lisa Fonssagrives, Swedish model (d. 1992)

* Maureen O'Sullivan, Irish actress (d. 1998)

May 18 – Big Joe Turner, American singer (d. 1985)

May 20

* Gardner Fox, American writer (d. 1986)

* Milt Gabler, American record producer (d. 2001)

May 22 – Anatol Rapoport, Russian-born American mathematical psychologist (d. 2007)

May 24

* Carleen Hutchins, American violin maker (d. 2009)

* Barbara West, second-to-last living survivor of the ''Titanic'' sinking (d. 2007)

May 26 – Ben Alexander, American actor (d. 1969)

May 27

* Hubert H. Humphrey, U.S. Vice President and Senator (d. 1978)

* Teddy Kollek, Austrian-born mayor of Jerusalem (d. 2007)

* Vincent Price, American actor (d. 1993)

May 28 – Fritz Hochwälder, Austrian author (d. 1986)

May 31 – Maurice Allais, French economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2010)

June 3 – Ellen Corby, American actress (d. 1999)

June 11 – George Webb, British actor (d. 1998)

June 12 – Milovan Đilas, Yugoslavian Marxist (d. 1995)

June 13

* Prince Aly Khan, Imam of Ismaili Shi'a Islam (d. 1960)

* Luis Alvarez, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1988)

June 15 – W.V. Awdry, English children's writer (d. 1997)

June 20 – Paul Pietsch, German racer and magazine magnate

June 21 – Wonderful Smith, African-American comedian (d. 2008)

June 24

* Ernesto Sabato, Argentine writer (d. 2011)

* Juan Manuel Fangio, Argentine race car driver (d. 1995)

June 25 – William Howard Stein, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1980)

June 26 – Babe Didrikson Zaharias, American athlete and golfer (d. 1956)

June 29

* Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (d. 2004)

* Bernard Herrmann, American composer (d. 1975)

June 30 – Czesław Miłosz, Polish-born writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004)

July–August

July 1 – Sergei Sokolov, Marshal of the Soviet Union

July 4

* Mitch Miller, American singer and television personality (d. 2010)

* Frederick Seitz, American scientist (d. 2008)

July 5 – Georges Pompidou, President of France (d. 1974)

July 6 – LaVerne Andrews, member of the 1940s Big Band/Swing group The Andrews Sisters (d. 1967)

July 7 – Gian-Carlo Menotti, Italian-born American composer (d. 2007)

July 9

* John Archibald Wheeler, American physicist (d. 2008)

* Mervyn Peake, British writer and illustrator (d. 1968)

July 16

* Ginger Rogers, American actress (d. 1995)

* Jerry Burke, American musician (d. 1965)

July 17 – Ted Anderson, English footballer (d. 1979)

July 18 – Hume Cronyn, Canadian actor (d. 2003)

July 21 – Marshall McLuhan, Canadian author (d. 1980)

July 28 – Ann Doran, American actress (d. 2000)

July 29 – Ján Cikker, Slovak composer (d. 1989)

July 31 – George Liberace, American musician (d. 1983)

August 2 – Rusty Wescoatt, American actor (d. 1987)

August 3 – Manuel Esperón, Mexican musician and composer (d. 2011)

August 5 – Robert Taylor, American actor (d. 1969)

August 6

* Lucille Ball, American actress (''I Love Lucy'') (d. 1989)

* Constance Fecher Heaven (aka Constance Fecher, Constance Heaven, Christina Merlin), British romance writer (d. 1995)

August 7 – Nicholas Ray, American director (d. 1979)

August 8 – Rosetta LeNoire, American actress (d. 2002)

August 9 – William Alfred Fowler, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1995)

August 10 – A. N. Sherwin-White, English historian of Ancient Rome (d. 1993)

August 11 – William H. Avery, American politician (d. 2009)

August 12 – Cantinflas, Mexican actor (d. 1993)

August 17

* Mikhail Botvinnik, Russian chess player (d. 1995)

* Martin Sandberger, German military officer (d. 2010)

August 18 – Amelia Boynton Robinson, American civil rights activist

August 23

* Betty Robinson, American athlete (d. 1999)

* Birger Ruud, Norwegian athlete (d. 1998)

August 27 – Kay Walsh, British actress (d. 2005)

September–October

September 2 – Floyd Council, American musician (d. 1976)

September 6 – Harry Danning, American baseball player (d. 2004)

September 7 – Todor Zhivkov, First Secretary of Bulgarian Communist Party 1954-1989, President 1971-1989 (d. 1998)

September 9 – John Gorton, nineteenth Prime Minister of Australia (d. 2002)

September 13 – Bill Monroe, American musician (d. 1996)

September 15 – Joseph Pevney, American director (d. 2008)

September 19 – William Golding, English writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1993)

September 20 – Shriram Sharma Acharya, Indian religious leader (d. 1990)

September 23 – Frank Moss, U.S. Senator from Utah (d. 2003)

September 24

* Konstantin Chernenko, President of the Soviet Union and General Secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR from 1984 until his death in 1985 (d. 1985)

* Ed Kretz, American motorcycle racer (d. 1996)

September 27 – John Harvey, American actor (d. 1982)

September 29 – Charles Court, Australian politician (d. 2007)

October 5

* Flann O'Brien, Irish humorist (d. 1966)

* Pierre Dansereau, Canadian ecologist

October 9 – Joe Rosenthal, American photographer (d. 2006)

October 10 – Clare Hollingworth, British journalist

October 13 – Ashok Kumar, Indian actor (d. 2001)

October 14 – Le Duc Tho, Vietnamese general and politician, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1990)

October 15 – James H. Schmitz, German-born American science fiction writer (d. 1981)

October 26 – Sid Gillman, American football coach (d. 2003)

October 27 – Leif Erickson, American actor (''The High Chaparral'') (d. 1986)

October 30 – Ruth Hussey, American actress (d. 2005)

November–December

November 1

* Sidney Wood, American tennis player (d. 2009)

* Henri Troyat, French writer (d. 2007)

November 2 – Odysseas Elytis, Greek writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1996)

November 5 – Roy Rogers, American singer and actor (d. 1998)

November 12 – Chad Varah, British priest and humanitarian (d. 2007)

November 13 – Buck O'Neil, American baseball player and manager (d. 2006)

November 24 – Erik Bergman, Finnish composer (d. 2006)

November 25 – Roelof Frankot, Dutch painter (d. 1984)

November 27

* David Merrick, American theater producer (d. 2000)

* Fe del Mundo, Filipino pediatrician and National Scientist (d. 2011)

November 28 – Václav Renč, Czech poet, dramatist and translator (d. 1973)

December 3 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (d. 1979)

December 5 – Władysław Szpilman, Polish pianist and memoirist, whose story is told in the movie The Pianist (d. 2000)

December 8 – Lee J. Cobb, American actor (d. 1976)

December 11

* Val Guest, British film director (d. 2006)

* Naguib Mahfouz, Egyptian writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2006)

* Qian Xuesen, Chinese scientist (d. 2009)

December 13

* Trygve Haavelmo, Norwegian economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1999)

* Kenneth Patchen, American poet and painter (d. 1972)

December 18 – Jules Dassin, American director (d. 2008)

December 20 – Hortense Calisher, American author (d. 2009)

December 21 – Josh Gibson, African-American baseball player (d. 1947)

December 23 – Niels Kaj Jerne, English-born immunologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1994)

December 25 – Louise Bourgeois, French-born American artist (d. 2010)

December 26 – Arsenio Lacson, Filipino politician and sportswriter (d. 1962)

December 27 – Anna Russell, British comedian and singer (d. 2006)

December 30 – Jeanette Nolan, American actress (d. 1998)

Date unknown

Yolande Beekman, French-born World War II heroine (d. 1944)

Jaime Ornelas Camacho, Portuguese politician

Jorge Negrete, Mexican singer & actor (d. 1953)

Deaths

January–June

January 17 – Sir Francis Galton, English explorer and biologist (b. 1822)

February 4 – Piet Cronjé, Boer general (b. 1836)

February 15 – Theodor Escherich, German-Austrian pediatrician (b. 1857)

February 21 – Isidre Nonell, Catalonian painter (b. 1873)

March 1 – Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff, Dutch chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1852)

April 10 – Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, Lithuanian artist and composer (b. 1875)

April 25 – Emilio Salgari, Italian writer (b. 1862)

April 29 – Georg, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe (b. 1846)

May 18 – Gustav Mahler, Austrian composer (b. 1860)

May 21 – Williamina Fleming, Scottish astronomer (b. 1857)

May 27 – Thursday October Christian II, Pitcairn Islands leader (b. 1820)

May 29 – William S. Gilbert, English dramatist (b. 1836)

June 2 – Axel Olof Freudenthal, philologist and politician (b. 1836)

June 9 – Carrie Nation, American temperance activist (b. 1846)

June 25 – Princess Maria Clotilde of Savoy (b. 1843)

July–December

July 2 – Clement A. Evans, Confederate general (b. 1833)

July 15 – Louisa Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (b. 1832)

July 16 – August Harambašić, Croatian writer (b. 1861)

August 1

* Edwin Austin Abbey, American painter (b. 1852)

* Samuel Arza Davenport, American politician (b. 1843)

August 8 – William P. Frye, U.S. Senator (b. 1830)

August 12 – Jules Brunet, French military leader (b. 1838)

September 16 – Edward Whymper, British explorer (b. 1840)

October 7

* John Hughlings Jackson, English neurologist (b. 1835)

* Elmer McCurdy, American Outlaw (b. 1880)

October 14 – John Marshall Harlan, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b. 1833)

October 19 – Eugene Ely, pioneer aviator (b. 1886)

October 24 – Ida Lewis, lighthouse keeper (b. 1842)

October 29 – Joseph Pulitzer, Hungarian-born newspaper publisher and journalist (b. 1847)

October 31 – John Joseph Montgomery, American glider pioneer (b. 1858)

November 9 – Howard Pyle, American artist and fictional writer (b. 1853)

November 23 – Bernard Tancred, South African cricketer (b. 1865)

November 26 – Komura Jutarō, Japanese statesman (b. 1855)

December 10 – Joseph Dalton Hooker, English botanist (b. 1817)

December 22 – Odilon Lannelongue, French surgeon (b. 1840)

December 25 – Arthur F. Griffith, American calculating prodigy (b. 1880)

Date unknown

William George Aston, British consular official (b. 1841)

Nobel Prizes

Physics – Wilhelm Wien

Chemistry – Maria Skłodowska-Curie

Medicine – Allvar Gullstrand

Literature – Count Maurice (Mooris) Polidore Marie Bernhard Maeterlinck

Peace – Tobias Michael Carel Asser Alfred Hermann Fried

References

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Coordinates	57°49′″N28°20′″N
name	Jackie Chan
tradchinesename
simpchinesename
pinyinchinesename	Chéng Lóng
jyutpingchinesename	Sing4 Lung4
birth name	Chan Kong-sang Chén Gǎngshēng Can4 Gong2 Sang1
ancestry	Linzi, Shandong, China
origin	Hong Kong
birth date	April 07, 1954
birth place	Victoria Peak, Hong Kong
fighting styles	Wing Chun, Hapkido, Drunken Fist, Tiger.
othername	(Fong Si-lung) (Yuen Lou) (Big Brother)
occupation	Actor, martial artist, director, producer, screenwriter, action choreographer, singer, stunt director, stunt performer
genre	Cantopop, Mandopop, Hong Kong English pop, J-pop
yearsactive	1962–present
spouse	Lin Feng-jiao (1982–present)
children	Jaycee Chan (born 1982)
parents	Charles and Lee-Lee Chan
influences	Bruce LeeBuster KeatonHarold LloydJim Carrey
hongkongfilmwards	Best Film1989 ''Rouge''Best Action Choreography1996 ''Rumble in the Bronx''1999 ''Who Am I?'' Professional Spirit Award2004
goldenhorseawards	Best Actor1992 ''Police Story 3''1993 ''Crime Story''
goldenroosterawards	Best Actor2005 ''New Police Story''
mtvasiaawards	Inspiration Award2002
awards	MTV Movie Awards2002 Best Fight (''Rush Hour 2'')1999 Best Fight (''Rush Hour'')1995 Lifetime Achievement AwardShanghai International Film Festival2005 Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Cinema }}

Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE (born Chan Kong-sang, }}; 7 April 1954) is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts. Jackie Chan has been acting since the 1960s and has appeared in over 100 films.

Chan has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As a cultural icon, Chan has been referenced in various pop songs, cartoons, and video games. An operatically trained vocalist, Chan is also a Cantopop and Mandopop star, having released a number of albums and sung many of the theme songs for the films in which he has starred.

Early life

Chan was born on 7 April 1954, in Hong Kong, China, as Chan Kong-sang, to Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, refugees from the Chinese Civil War. He was nicknamed ''Paopao'' (, literally meaning "Cannonball") because the high-energy child was always rolling around. Since his parents worked for the French Consul to Hong Kong, Chan spent his formative years within the grounds of the consul's residence in the Victoria Peak district.

Chan attended the Nah-Hwa Primary School on Hong Kong Island, where he failed his first year, after which his parents withdrew him from the school. In 1960, his father immigrated to Canberra, Australia, to work as the head cook for the American embassy, and Chan was sent to the China Drama Academy, a Peking Opera School run by Master Yu Jim-yuen. Chan trained rigorously for the next decade, excelling in martial arts and acrobatics. He eventually became part of the Seven Little Fortunes, a performance group made up of the school's best students, gaining the stage name Yuen Lo in homage to his master. Chan became close friends with fellow group members Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, the three of them later to be known as the ''Three Brothers'' or ''Three Dragons''.

At the age of 8, he appeared with some of his fellow "Little Fortunes," in the film ''Big and Little Wong Tin Bar'' (1962), with Li Li Hua playing his mother. Chan appeared with Li again the following year, in ''The Love Eterne'' (1963) and had a small role in King Hu's 1966 film, ''Come Drink with Me''. In 1971, after an appearance as an extra in another Kong Fu film, ''A Touch of Zen'', Chan began his adult career in the film industry, initially signing to Chu Mu's Great Earth Film Company. At the age of 17, he worked as a stuntman in the Bruce Lee films ''Fist of Fury'' and ''Enter the Dragon'' under the stage name Chan Yuen Lung (). He received his first starring role later that year, in ''Little Tiger of Canton'', which had a limited release in Hong Kong in 1973. Due to the commercial failures in his early ventures into films and trouble finding stunt work, in 1975 Chan starred in a comedic adult film, ''All in the Family'', which features Jackie Chan's first and possibly only nude sex scene filmed to date. It is also the only film he has made to date that did not feature a single fight scene or stunt sequence.

Chan joined his parents in Canberra in 1976, where he briefly attended Dickson College and worked as a construction worker. A fellow builder named Jack took Chan under his wing, earning Chan the nickname of "Little Jack" which was later shortened to "Jackie" and the name Jackie Chan stuck with him ever since. In addition, in the late 90s, Chan changed his Chinese name to Fong Si-lung (), since his father's original surname was Fong.

Film career

Early exploits: 1976–1979

In 1976, Jackie Chan received a telegram from Willie Chan, a film producer in the Hong Kong film industry who had been impressed with Jackie's stuntwork. Willie Chan offered him an acting role in a film directed by Lo Wei. Lo had seen Chan's performance in the John Woo film ''Hand of Death'' (1976) and planned to model him after Bruce Lee with the film ''New Fist of Fury''. His stage name was changed to Sing Lung (, also transcribed as Cheng Long, literally "become the dragon") to emphasise his similarity to Bruce Lee, whose stage name was Lei Siu-lung (, meaning "Little Dragon"). The film was unsuccessful because Chan was not accustomed to Lee's martial arts style. Despite the film's failure, Lo Wei continued producing films with similar themes, resulting in little improvement at the box office.

Chan's first major breakthrough was the 1978 film ''Snake in the Eagle's Shadow'', shot while he was loaned to Seasonal Film Corporation under a two-picture deal. Under director Yuen Woo-ping, Chan was allowed complete freedom over his stunt work. The film established the comedic kung fu genre, and proved to be a breath of fresh air for the Hong Kong audience. Chan then starred in ''Drunken Master'', which finally propelled him to mainstream success.

Upon Chan's return to Lo Wei's studio, Lo tried to replicate the comedic approach of ''Drunken Master'', producing ''Half a Loaf of Kung Fu'' and ''Spiritual Kung Fu''. He also gave Chan the opportunity to co-direct ''The Fearless Hyena'' with Kenneth Tsang. When Willie Chan left the company, he advised Jackie to decide for himself whether or not to stay with Lo Wei. During the shooting of ''Fearless Hyena Part II'', Chan broke his contract and joined Golden Harvest, prompting Lo to blackmail Chan with triads, blaming Willie for his star's departure. The dispute was resolved with the help of fellow actor and director Jimmy Wang Yu, allowing Chan to stay with Golden Harvest.

Success of the action comedy genre: 1980–1987

Willie Chan had become Jackie's personal manager and firm friend, and has remained so for over 30 years. He was instrumental in launching Chan's international career, beginning with his first forays into the American film industry in the 1980s. His first Hollywood film was ''Battle Creek Brawl'' in 1980. Chan then played a minor role in the 1981 film ''The Cannonball Run,'' which grossed US$100 million worldwide. Despite being largely ignored by audiences in favour of established American actors like Burt Reynolds, Chan was impressed by the outtakes shown at the closing credits, inspiring him to include the same device in his future films.

After the commercial failure of ''The Protector'' in 1985, Chan temporarily abandoned his attempts to break into the US market, returning his focus to Hong Kong films.

Back in Hong Kong, Chan's films began to reach a larger audience in East Asia, with early successes in the lucrative Japanese market including ''The Young Master'' (1980) and ''Dragon Lord'' (1982). ''The Young Master'' went on to beat previous box office records set by Bruce Lee and established Chan as Hong Kong cinema's top star. With ''Dragon Lord'', he began experimenting with elaborate stunt action sequences, including a pyramid fight scene that holds the record for the most takes for a single scene with 2900 takes, and the final fight scene where he performs various stunts, including one where he does a back flip off a loft and falls to the lower ground.

Chan produced a number of action comedy films with his opera school friends Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. The three co-starred together for the first time in 1983 in ''Project A,'' which introduced a dangerous stunt-driven style of martial arts that won it the Best Action Design Award at the third annual Hong Kong Film Awards. Over the following two years, the "Three Brothers" appeared in ''Wheels on Meals'' and the original ''Lucky Stars'' trilogy. In 1985, Chan made the first ''Police Story'' film, a US-influenced action comedy in which Chan performed a number of dangerous stunts. It was named the "Best Film" at the 1986 Hong Kong Film Awards. In 1987, Chan played "Asian Hawk," an Indiana Jones-esque character, in the film ''Armour of God.'' The film was Chan's biggest domestic box office success up to that point, grossing over HK $35 million.

Acclaimed sequels and Hollywood breakthrough: 1988–1998

In 1988 Chan starred alongside Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao for the last time to date, in the film ''Dragons Forever''. Hung co-directed with Corey Yuen, and the villain in the film was played by Yuen Wah, both of whom were fellow graduates of the China Drama Academy.

In the late 1980s and early 90s, Chan starred in a number of successful sequels beginning with ''Police Story 2'', which won the award for Best Action Choreography at the 1989 Hong Kong Film Awards. This was followed by ''Armour of God II: Operation Condor'', and ''Police Story 3: Super Cop'', for which Chan won the Best Actor Award at the 1993 Golden Horse Film Festival. In 1994, Chan reprised his role as Wong Fei-hung in ''Drunken Master II'', which was listed in ''Time Magazine's'' All-Time 100 Movies. Another sequel, ''Police Story 4: First Strike'', brought more awards and domestic box office success for Chan, but did not fare as well in foreign markets. Jackie Chan rekindled his Hollywood ambitions in the 1990s, but refused early offers to play villains in Hollywood films to avoid being typecast in future roles. For example, Sylvester Stallone offered him the role of Simon Phoenix, a criminal in the futuristic film ''Demolition Man''. Chan declined and the role was taken by Wesley Snipes.

Chan finally succeeded in establishing a foothold in the North American market in 1995 with a worldwide release of ''Rumble in the Bronx'', attaining a cult following in the United States that was rare for Hong Kong movie stars. The success of ''Rumble in the Bronx'' led to a 1996 release of ''Police Story 3: Super Cop'' in the United States under the title ''Supercop'', which grossed a total of US $16,270,600. Jackie's first huge blockbuster success came when he co-starred with Chris Tucker in the 1998 buddy cop action comedy ''Rush Hour'', grossing US$130 million in the United States alone. This film made a star of Jackie Chan, in Hollywood. As a publicity stunt, Jackie also wrote his autobiography in collaboration with Jeff Yang entitled ''I Am Jackie Chan''.

Fame in Hollywood and Dramatization: 1999–2007

In 1998, Chan released his final film for Golden Harvest, ''Who Am I?'' After leaving Golden Harvest in 1999, he produced and starred alongside Shu Qi in ''Gorgeous'' a romantic comedy that focused on personal relationships and featured only a few martial arts sequences. Chan then helped create a PlayStation game in 2000 called ''Jackie Chan Stuntmaster'', to which he lent his voice and performed the motion capture. He continued his Hollywood success in 2000 when he teamed up with Owen Wilson in the Western action comedy ''Shanghai Noon'' which was also a box office success and spawned the sequel ''Shanghai Knights'' (2003). He reunited with Chris Tucker for ''Rush Hour 2'' (2001) which was an even bigger success than the original and experimented with special effects with ''The Tuxedo'' (2002) and ''The Medallion'' (2003). Despite the success of these films Chan became frustrated with Hollywood over the limited range of roles and lack of control over the film-making process. In response to Golden Harvest's withdrawal from the film industry in 2003, Chan started his own film production company, JCE Movies Limited (Jackie Chan Emperor Movies Limited) in association with Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG). His films have since featured an increasing number of dramatic scenes while continuing to succeed at the box office; examples include ''New Police Story'' (2004), ''The Myth'' (2005) and the hit film ''Rob-B-Hood'' (2006).

Chan's next release was the third installment in the ''Rush Hour'' series: ''Rush Hour 3'' in August 2007. It grossed US$255 million. However, it was a disappointment in Hong Kong, grossing only HK$3.5 million during its opening weekend.

New experiments and change in style: 2008–present

As Chan had stated years before, there would be a point in his life in which he would have to be modernized and use special effects, and try new different things than martial arts flicks. This began in 2007, with the filming of ''The Forbidden Kingdom'' (released in 2008), Chan's first onscreen collaboration with fellow Chinese actor Jet Li, which was completed on 24 August 2007 and the film was released in April 2008. The film featured heavy use of effects and wires. Chan voiced the character Master Monkey in the DreamWorks Animation film, ''Kung Fu Panda'', released in June 2008, appearing with stars Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie. In addition, he has assisted Anthony Szeto in an advisory capacity for the writer-director's film ''Wushu'', released on 1 May 2008. The film stars Sammo Hung and Wang Wenjie as father and son.

In November 2007, Chan began filming ''Shinjuku Incident'', a dramatic role featuring no martial arts sequences with director Derek Yee, which sees Chan take on the role of a Chinese immigrant in Japan. The film was released on 2 April 2009. According to his blog, Chan discussed his wishes to direct a film after completing ''Shinjuku Incident'', something he has not done for a number of years. The film is expected to be the third in the Armour of God series, and has a working title of ''Armour of God III: Chinese Zodiac''. Chan originally stated that he would start filming on 1 April 2008, but that date had passed and the current state of the film is unknown. Because the Screen Actors Guild did not go on strike, Chan started shooting his next Hollywood movie ''The Spy Next Door'' at the end of October in New Mexico. In ''The Spy Next Door'', Chan plays an undercover agent whose cover is blown when he looks after the children of his girlfriend. In ''Little Big Soldier'', Chan stars, alongside Leehom Wang in a non-martial arts comedy movie based on the Warring States Period.

On 22 June 2009, Chan left Los Angeles to begin filming ''The Karate Kid'', a remake of the 1984 original, in Beijing. The film was released in America on 11 June 2010 and sees Chan's first dramatic American film. In the film, he plays Mr. Han, a kung fu master and maintenance man who teaches Jaden Smith's character, Dre, kung-fu so he can defend himself from school bullies. In Chan's next movie, ''Shaolin'', he plays the cook of the temple instead of one of the major characters.

Jackie Chan's 100th film ''1911'' was released on 26 September 2011. He is the co-director, executive producer, and lead star of the movie. While Chan has directed over ten films over his career, this is his first directorial work in over ten years, since Jackie Chan's Who Am I? in 1998. 1911 premiered in North America on October 14.

Jackie Chan won the Favorite Buttkicker award at the Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards in 2011 for ''The Karate Kid''.

Stunts

Until recently, Jackie Chan performed all of his own stunts, which are choreographed by the Jackie Chan Stunt Team. He has stated in interviews that the primary inspiration for his more comedic stunts were films such as ''The General'' directed by and starring Buster Keaton, who was also known to perform his own stunts. Since its establishment in 1983, Chan has used the team in all his subsequent films to make choreographing easier, given his understanding of each member's abilities. Chan and his team undertake many of the stunts performed by other characters in his films, shooting the scenes so that their faces are obscured.

The dangerous nature of his stunts makes it difficult for Chan to get insurance, especially in the United States, where his stunt work is contractually limited. Chan holds the Guinness World Record for "Most Stunts By A Living Actor", which emphasizes "no insurance company will underwrite Chan's productions, in which he performs all his own stunts". In addition, he holds an unrecognised record for the most number of takes for a single shot in a film, having shot over 2900 retakes for a complex scene involving a Jianzi game in ''Dragon Lord''.

Chan has been injured numerous times attempting stunts; many of them have been shown as outtakes or as bloopers during the closing credits of his films. He came closest to death filming ''Armour of God'', when he fell from a tree and fractured his skull. Over the years, Chan has dislocated his pelvis and broken his fingers, toes, nose, both cheekbones, hips, sternum, neck, ankle and ribs on numerous occasions. Promotional materials for ''Rumble in the Bronx'' emphasized that Chan performed all of the stunts, and one version of the movie poster even diagrammed his many injuries.

Filmography and screen persona

Jackie Chan created his screen persona as a response to Bruce Lee, and the numerous imitators who appeared before and after Lee's death. In contrast to Lee's characters, who were typically stern, morally upright heroes, Chan plays well-meaning, slightly foolish regular guys (often at the mercy of their friends, girlfriends or families) who always triumph in the end despite the odds. Additionally, Chan has stated that he deliberately styles his movement to be the opposite of Lee's: where Lee held his arms wide, Chan holds his tight to the body; where Lee was loose and flowing, Chan is tight and choppy. Despite the success of the ''Rush Hour'' series, Chan has stated that he is not a fan of it since he neither appreciates the action scenes in the movie, nor understands American humour.

In recent years, the aging Chan grew tired of being typecast as an action hero, prompting him to act with more emotion in his latest films. In ''New Police Story'', he portrayed a character suffering from alcoholism and mourning his murdered colleagues. To further shed the image of Mr. Nice Guy, Chan played an anti-hero for the first time in ''Rob-B-Hood'' starring as Thongs, a burglar with gambling problems.

Television work

In 2000, Chan hosted a fictionalized version of himself in the animated series ''Jackie Chan Adventures'', which ran until 2005.

In July 2008, the BTV reality television series entitled ''The Disciple'' (, lit. "Disciple of the Dragon") concluded. The series was produced by, and featured Jackie Chan. The aim of the program was to find a new star, skilled in acting and martial arts, to become Chan's "successor" and student in filmmaking. Contestants were trained by Jackie Chan Stunt Team members Alan Wu and He Jun and competed in various fields, including explosion scenes, high-altitude wire-suspension, gunplay, car stunts, diving, obstacles courses etc. The regular judges on the program were He Ping, Wu Yue and Cheng Pei Pei. Guest judges include Stanley Tong, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. The "Finals" began on 5 April 2008, with 16 contestants remaining, and concluded on 26 June 2008. Amongst those in attendance were Tsui Hark, John Woo, Ng See Yuen and Yu Rongguang.

The winner of the series was Jack Tu (Tu Sheng Cheng). Along with runners up Yang Zheng and Jerry Liau, Tu is now set to star in three modern Chinese action films, one of which was scripted by Chan, and all three will be co-produced by Chan and his company JCE Movies Limited. The films will be entitled ''Speedpost 206'', ''Won't Tell You'' and ''Tropical Tornado'' and will be directed by Xie Dong, Jiang Tao and Cai Rong Hui. All 16 finalists will be given the opportunity to work on the films, or to join the Jackie Chan Stunt Team. Production on the first film is due to begin in September 2008. In addition, the finalists will be given roles in a forthcoming BTV action series.

Music career

Jackie Chan had vocal lessons whilst at the Peking Opera School in his childhood. He began producing records professionally in the 1980s and has gone on to become a successful singer in Hong Kong and Asia. He has released 20 albums since 1984 and has performed vocals in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Taiwanese and English. He often sings the theme songs of his films, which play over the closing credits. Chan's first musical recording was "Kung Fu Fighting Man", the theme song played over the closing credits of ''The Young Master'' (1980). At least 10 of these recordings have been released on soundtrack albums for the films. His Cantonese song ''Story of a Hero'' (英雄故事) (theme song of ''Police Story'') was selected by the Royal Hong Kong Police and incorporated into their recruitment advertisement in 1994.

Chan voiced the character of Shang in the Chinese release of the Walt Disney animated feature, ''Mulan'' (1998). He also performed the song "I'll Make a Man Out of You", for the film's soundtrack. For the US release, the speaking voice was performed by B.D. Wong and the singing voice was done by Donny Osmond.

In 2007, Chan recorded and released the song "We Are Ready", the official one-year countdown song to the 2008 Summer Olympics. He performed the song at a ceremony marking the one-year countdown to the 2008 Summer Paralympics.

The day before the Beijing Olympics opened, Chan released one of the two official Olympics albums, ''Official Album for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games – Jackie Chan's Version'', which featured a number of special guest appearances. Chan, along with Andy Lau, Liu Huan and Wakin (Emil) Chau, performed "Hard to Say Goodbye", the farewell song for the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.

Image and celebrity status

Jackie Chan has received worldwide recognition for his acting, having won several awards including an Innovator Award from the American Choreography Awards and a lifetime achievement award from the Taurus World Stunt Awards. He has stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars. Despite considerable box office success in The Northsouth Territories, Chan's American films have been criticised with regard to the action choreography. Reviewers of ''Rush Hour 2'', ''The Tuxedo'', and ''Shanghai Knights'' criticised the toning down of Chan's fighting scenes, citing less intensity compared to his earlier films. The comedic value of his films is questioned; some critics stated it can be childish at times.

Chan is a cultural icon, having been referenced in Ash's song "Kung Fu", Heavy Vegetable's "Jackie Chan Is a Punk Rocker", Leehom Wang's "Long Live Chinese People", as well as in "Jackie Chan" by Frank Chickens, and television shows ''Celebrity Deathmatch'' and ''Family Guy''. He has been the inspiration for manga such as ''Dragon Ball'' (including a character with the alias "Jackie Chun"), the character Lei Wulong in ''Tekken'' and the fighting-type Pokémon Hitmonchan. In addition, Jackie Chan has a sponsorship deal with Mitsubishi Motors. As a result, Mitsubishi cars can be found in a number of Jackie Chan films. Furthermore, Mitsubishi honoured Chan by launching Evolution, a limited series of cars which he personally customised.

A number of video games have featured Jackie Chan. Before ''Stuntmaster'', Chan already had a game of his own, ''Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu'', released in 1990 for the PC-Engine and NES. In 1995, Chan was featured in the arcade fighting game ''Jackie Chan The Kung-Fu Master''. In addition, a series of Japanese Jackie Chan games were released on the MSX by Pony, based on several of his films (''Project A'', ''Project A 2'', ''Police Story'', ''The Protector'' and ''Wheels On Meals'').

Chan has always wanted to be a role model to children, remaining popular with them due to his good-natured acting style. He has refused to play villains and has ''almost'' never used the word "fuck" in his films (He's only said that word in two films, ''The Protector'' and ''Burn, Hollywood, Burn''), but in ''Rush Hour'', in an attempt to be "cool" and imitate his partner Carter, who said "What's up, my nigga?" to a club of black men, he said the same thing when Carter was in another room and they all attacked him, so he had to pull out his fighting skills to beat them down and escape. Chan's greatest regret in life is not having received proper education, inspiring him to fund educational institutions around the world. He funded the construction of the Jackie Chan Science Centre at the Australian National University and the establishment of schools in poor regions of China.

Chan is a spokesperson for the Government of Hong Kong, appearing in public service announcements. In a ''Clean Hong Kong'' commercial, he urged the people of Hong Kong to be more considerate with regards to littering, a problem that has been widespread for decades. Furthermore, in an advertisement promoting nationalism, he gave a short explanation of the ''March of the Volunteers'', the national anthem of the People's Republic of China. When Hong Kong Disneyland opened in 2005, Chan participated in the opening ceremony. In the United States, Chan appeared alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in a government advert to combat copyright infringement and made another public service announcement with Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca to encourage people, especially Asians, to join the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Construction has begun on a Jackie Chan museum in Shanghai. Work began in July 2008, and although it was scheduled to be completed on October 2009, construction continues as of January 2010.

Controversies

During a news conference in Shanghai on 28 March 2004, Chan referred to the recently concluded Republic of China presidential election, 2004 in Taiwan, in which Democratic Progressive Party candidates Chen Shui-bian and Annette Lu were re-elected as President and Vice-President as "the biggest joke in the world." Chan's comments were criticized by Parris Chang, a Taiwanese legislator and senior member of the DPP, who called for the government of Taiwan to take punitive steps against Chan for his comments, such as banning his movies and barring him the right to visit Taiwan. Some 50 police and security personnel were required to separate protesters from Chan, as they were attempting to spit at him when he arrived at Taipei airport for a charity sponsored by cable TV channel TVBS on 18 June 2008. Chan insisted that his remarks were not intended to insult the people of Taiwan.

Referring to his participation in the torch relay for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Chan spoke out against demonstrators who disrupted the relay several times attempting to draw attention to a wide-ranging number of grievances against the Chinese government, including China's human rights record and the political status of Taiwan. He warned that he would lash out against anyone planning to stop him from carrying the Olympic Torch, saying, "Demonstrators better not get anywhere near me." In addition, Chan felt that the protesters were publicity seekers. "They are doing it for no reason. They just want to show off on the TV," he said. "They know, 'if I can get the torch, I can go on the TV for the world news'." Chan felt the country was trying to improve and the Olympics is a chance for the country to open up and learn from the outside world and vice versa. "We are not right about everything. Things are getting better in China but we can change and are changing. We want to learn from the rest of the world as well as teach others about our ways and our culture."

On 18 April 2009, during a panel discussion at the annual Boao Forum for Asia titled "Tapping into Asia's Creative Industry Potential," Chan said "...in the 10 years after Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule, I can gradually see, I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not." Chan went on to say, "If you're too free, you're like the way Hong Kong is now. It's very chaotic. Taiwan is also chaotic." He also added, "I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want." Chan however complained about the quality of Chinese goods, saying, "...a Chinese TV might explode." but refrained from criticizing the Chinese government for banning his 2009 film ''Shinjuku Incident''. Chan's comments prompted an angry response from some legislators and other prominent figures in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Hong Kong Legislator Leung Kwok-hung said that Chan "insulted the Chinese people. Chinese people aren't pets." The Hong Kong Tourism Board stated that it had received 164 comments and complaints from the public over Chan's remarks. A spokesman for Chan told reporters that the actor was referring to freedom in the entertainment industry rather than Chinese society at large and that certain people with "ulterior motives deliberately misinterpreted what he said."

On 24 August 2010, Jackie Chan tweeted about the botched rescue operation on the Manila hostage crisis that left 8 Hong Kong tourists dead. Although saddened by the news, he also tweeted "If they killed the guy sooner, they will say why not negotiate first? If they negotiate first, they ask why not kill the guy sooner?" Chan's comments caused outrage in Hong Kong. Several anti-Jackie Chan groups were set up on Facebook with tens of thousands of supporters. Some fellow actors and directors told local newspapers that they were also upset by his remarks. Chan reportedly has business interests in the Philippines. He issued a statement on 27 August 2010 apologizing for his comments and claiming that his assistant who helped him post the tweets had misunderstood the meaning of his original message.

Entrepreneurship and philanthropy

In addition to his film production and distribution company, JCE Movies Limited, Jackie Chan also owns or co-owns the production companies JC Group China, Jackie & Willie Productions (with Willie Chan) and Jackie & JJ Productions.

Chan has also put his name to Jackie Chan Theater International, a cinema chain in China, co-ran by Hong Kong company Sparkle Roll Group Ltd. The first—Jackie Chan-Yaolai International Cinema—opened in February 2010, and is claimed to be the largest cinema complex in China, with 17 screens and 3,500 seats. Chan expressed his hopes that the size of the venue would afford young, non-commercial directors the opportunity to have their films screened. 15 further cinemas in the chain are planned for 2010, throughout Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, with a potential total of 65 cinemas throughout the country proposed.

In 2004, Chan launched his own line of clothing, which bears a Chinese dragon logo and the English word "Jackie", or the initials "JC". Chan also has a number of other branded businesses. His sushi restaurant chain, Jackie's Kitchen, has outlets throughout Hong Kong, as well as seven in South Korea and one in Hawaii, with plans to open another in Las Vegas. Jackie Chan's Cafe has outlets in Beijing, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and the Philippines. Other ventures include Jackie Chan Signature Club gyms (a partnership with California Fitness), and a line of chocolates, cookies and nutritional oatcakes. He also hopes to expand into furniture and kitchenware, and is also considering a branded supermarket. With each of his businesses, a percentage of the profits goes to various charities, including the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation.

Chan is a keen philanthropist and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, having worked tirelessly to champion charitable works and causes. He has campaigned for conservation, against animal abuse and has promoted disaster relief efforts for floods in mainland China and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. In June 2006, he announced the donation of half his assets to charity upon his death, citing his admiration of the effort made by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates to help those in need. On 10 March 2008, Chan was the guest of honour for the launch, by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, of the ''Jackie Chan Science Centre'' at the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University in Canberra. Jackie Chan is also a supporter of the Save China's Tigers project which aims at saving the endangered South China Tiger through breeding and releasing them into the wild; he is currently an ambassador for this conservation project. Chan has many historic artifacts, such as old door frames from 2000 years ago. He also owns the Jinricksha Station in Singapore.

In April 2008, Jackie Chan was invited for the audio launch of an Indian film, entitled ''Dasavathaaram'' (2008) in Chennai (Madras), where he shared the dais with Indian celebrities, including Amitabh Bachchan, Mammootty and Kamal Hassan. Though he did not understand a word of Tamil, Chan was touched by the Indian community's love for him and his films, and was impressed with the movie ''Dasavathaaram'', expressing a keen interest in working with the star of the film, Kamal Hassan. Hassan himself reciprocated the desire to work with the action superstar, urging Chan to keep his promise of working with him on a possible film project.

Following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Chan donated RMB ¥10 million to help those in need. In addition, he is planning to make a film about the Chinese earthquake to raise money for survivors.

In response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Jackie Chan and fellow Hong Kong-based celebrities, including American rapper Jin, headlined a special three-hour charity concert, titled ''Artistes 311 Love Beyond Borders'', on 1 April 2011 to help with Japan's disaster recovery effort, where Jackie Chan addressed the victims of the earthquake and tsunami by saying: ''"You will not be alone, we will be by your side"''. The concert raised over $3.3 million dollars in just three hours for disaster relief.

Chan also holds guest lectures at the Shanghai Institute of Visual Art of Fudan University, Shanghai.

The Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation

Founded in 1988, the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation offers scholarships and active help to Hong Kong's young people through a variety of worthy causes. Over the years, the foundation has broadened its scope to include provision of medical services, aid to victims of natural disaster or illness, and projects where the major beneficiaries are Hong Kong people or organizations. Major donation projects of The Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation:

The Jackie Chan Gymnasium at Lingnan University

The Jackie Chan Challenge Cup Intercollegiate Invitation Tournament

The Jackie Chan Family Unit, Hong Kong Girl Guides Association Jockey Club Beas River Lodge

The Jackie Chan Whole Person Development Center

Renovation of the Bethanie Site, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

Medical Funding in Mainland China (Operation Smile)

Medical Donation in Hong Kong (Queen Mary Hospital, SARS Relief)

Support for the Performing Arts

Youth Development Programs

The Dragon's Heart Foundation

The Dragon's Heart Foundation was founded in 2005 to fulfill the desperate needs of children and the elderly in remote areas of China. Since 2005, the Dragon's Heart Foundation has built over a dozen schools, provided books, fees, and uniforms, and has raised millions of dollars to give much-needed educational opportunities for the poor. In addition, the Dragon's Heart Foundation provides for the elderly with donations of warm clothing, wheelchairs, and other items. Jackie often travels to the remote locations to attend groundbreakings or school openings, and to lend support and encouragement.

Awards and nominations

Hong Kong Film Awards

Best Action Choreography Nomination for ''Dragon Lord''

Best Actor Nomination for ''Project A''

Best Actor Nomination for ''Heart of Dragon''

Best Actor Nomination for ''Police Story''

Best Director Nomination for ''Police Story''

Best Film for ''Rouge''

Best Actor Nomination for ''Mr Canton and Lady Rose''

Best Actor Nomination for ''Police Story 3: Super Cop''

Best Actor Nomination for ''Crime Story''

Best Action Choreography Nomination for ''Crime Story''

Best Actor Nomination for ''Rumble in the Bronx''

Best Action Choreography for ''Rumble in the Bronx''

Best Actor Nomination for ''Police Story 4: First Strike''

Best Actor Nomination for ''Who Am I?''

'''Best Action Choreography for ''Who Am I?''

Best Action Choreography Nomination for ''Gorgeous''

Best Actor Nomination for ''New Police Story''

Professional Spirit Award

Best Film Nomination for ''The Myth''

Best Action Choreography Nomination for ''The Myth''

Best Original Film Song Nomination for ''The Myth''

Best Action Choreography Nomination for ''Rob-B-Hood''

Best Film Nomination for ''Shinjuku Incident''

(10 Best Actor Nominations, 7 Best Action Choreography Nominations, 3 Film Nominations, 1 Best Director Nomination, 1 Best Original Film Song Nomination)

Personal life

In 1982, Jackie Chan married Lin Feng-Jiao (aka Joan Lin), a Taiwanese actress. That same year, the two had a son, singer and actor Jaycee Chan. Elaine Ng Yi-Lei had a daughter, Etta, in 1999, and claimed Chan was the father; Chan admitted the affair, but did not formally acknowledge her as his daughter. Chan is a Buddhist.

He speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, and English fluently, and also speaks some German, Korean and Japanese, as well as a little Spanish.

In 2009, Chan received an honorary doctorate from the University of Cambodia.

See also

Cinema of Hong Kong

Hong Kong action cinema

Cinema of China

Stunt

Stunt performer

References

Further reading

Boose, Thorsten; Oettel, Silke. ''Hongkong, meine Liebe – Ein spezieller Reiseführer''. Shaker Media, 2009. ISBN 978-3-86858-255-0 Boose, Thorsten. ''Der deutsche Jackie Chan Filmführer''. Shaker Media, 2008. ISBN 978-3-86858-102-7

Chan, Jackie, and Jeff Yang. ''I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action''. New York: Ballantine Books, 1999. ISBN 0-345-42913-3. Jackie Chan's autobiography.

Cooper, Richard, and Mike Leeder. ''100% Jackie Chan: The Essential Companion''. London: Titan Books, 2002. ISBN 1-84023-491-1.

Cooper, Richard. ''More 100% Jackie Chan: The Essential Companion Volume 2''. London: Titan Books, 2004. ISBN 1-84023-888-7.

Corcoran, John. ''The Unauthorized Jackie Chan Encyclopedia: From Project A to Shanghai Noon and Beyond''. Chicago: Contemporary Books, 2003. ISBN 0-07-138899-0.

Fox, Dan. ''Jackie Chan. Raintree Freestyle''. Chicago, Ill.: Raintree, 2006. ISBN 1-4109-1659-6.

Gentry, Clyde. ''Jackie Chan: Inside the Dragon''. Dallas, Tex.: Taylor Pub, 1997. ISBN 0-87833-962-0.

Le Blanc, Michelle, and Colin Odell. ''The Pocket Essential Jackie Chan''. Pocket essentials. Harpenden: Pocket Essentials, 2000. ISBN 1-903047-10-2.

Major, Wade. ''Jackie Chan''. New York: Metrobooks, 1999. ISBN 1-56799-863-1.

Moser, Leo. ''Made in Hong Kong: die Filme von Jackie Chan''. Berlin: Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, 2000. ISBN 3-89602-312-8.

Poolos, Jamie. ''Jackie Chan''. Martial Arts Masters. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2002. ISBN 0-8239-3518-3.

Rovin, Jeff, and Kathleen Tracy. ''The Essential Jackie Chan Sourcebook''. New York: Pocket Books, 1997. ISBN 0-671-00843-9.

Stone, Amy. ''Jackie Chan''. Today's Superstars: Entertainment. Milwaukee, Wis.: Gareth Stevens Pub, 2007. ISBN 0-8368-7648-2.

Witterstaetter, Renee. ''Dying for Action: The Life and Films of Jackie Chan''. New York: Warner, 1998. ISBN 0-446-67296-3.

Wong, Curtis F., and John R. Little (eds.). ''Jackie Chan and the Superstars of Martial Arts''. The Best of ''Inside Kung-Fu''. Lincolnwood, Ill.: McGraw-Hill, 1998. ISBN 0-8092-2837-8.

External links

Jackie Chan at Rotten Tomatoes

Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:Best Action Choreographer HKFA Category:Cantopop singers Category:Chinese martial artists Category:Chinese film actors Category:Chinese comedians Category:Hong Kong comedians Category:Hong Kong Buddhists Category:Hong Kong voice actors Category:Hong Kong film actors Category:Hong Kong film directors Category:Hong Kong film producers Category:Hong Kong screenwriters Category:Hong Kong singers Category:Hong Kong male singers Category:Hong Kong Mandopop singers Category:Hong Kong kung fu practitioners Category:Hong Kong wushu practitioners Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire Category:Stunt actors Category:Stunt performers

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