Indiana Jones

Indiana Jones is a fictional bullwhip-toting archaeologist with an overdeveloped ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) played by Harrison Ford in a series of films by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Younger versions of the character were also played by River Phoenix in the third film and by Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier on television. An older version (93) of Jones was played by George Hall.

Biography

Indiana Jones was born Henry Jones, Jr. to Scottish-born Professor of Medieval literature Dr. Henry Jones Sr. (played by Lloyd Owen in the TV Series and by Sean Connery in the films) and his wife Anna on July 1, 1899, in Princeton, New Jersey. "Junior" accompanied his father on his travels throughout Europe, where he learned to speak, read, and write 27 languages, including French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, Greek, Arabic, Turkish, Vietnamese, Swahili, Latin and Chinese, as well as some Hindi, apart from English. Although his father called him "Junior," Henry Jr. adopted the name of his beloved dog Indiana for himself, insisting he be referred to as Indiana Jones. It is not known for sure when he first did this, except that he was referred to as Indiana during childhood by his peers.

Related Topics:
Scottish - Professor - Medieval literature - Sean Connery - July 1 - 1899 - Princeton - New Jersey - Europe - French - German - Italian - Spanish - Russian - Swedish - Greek - Arabic - Turkish - Vietnamese - Swahili - Latin - Chinese - Hindi - English - Dog

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In 1912, Indy was living in Utah and was a member of the Boy Scouts. It was here, while attempting to secure the Cross of Coronado from thieves, Indy first learned to use the bullwhip and received his trademark fedora.

Related Topics:
1912 - Utah - Boy Scouts - Cross of Coronado - Fedora

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His father wanted Indiana to go to Princeton University. To escape this, he ran away from home by train. He ended up in Mexico and was kidnapped by Mexican revolutionaries. He joined this army of revolutionaries, playing a part in the Mexican Revolution in 1916, under Pancho Villa. It is here that he also met his friend Remy, a Belgian. With Remy, he left Mexico and eventually made his way to Africa at the beginning of World War I.

Related Topics:
Princeton University - Train - Mexico - Mexican Revolution - 1916 - Pancho Villa - Belgian - Africa - World War I

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He and Remy intended to join the Belgian Army, where Jones was commissioned as a lieutenant. Jones' inability to read maps properly caused him to lose his unit, and he instead fought along side a team of old men under the British Army. Among missions (depicted in the television series), the team destroyed a giant cannon mounted on a train, and they kidnapped the (real-life) German military genius Paul Erich von Lettow-Vorbeck in a balloon, but they were forced to release him.

Related Topics:
Belgian Army - Commissioned - Lieutenant - Map - British Army - Paul Erich von Lettow-Vorbeck - Balloon

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Eventually Jones joined the Belgian army in Europe with Remy, in 1916 and participated in the Western Front. He was taken prisoner by the Germans, escaped, encountered Mata Hari, worked as an intelligence officer, took ill, and was treated by Albert Schweitzer. Jones vied with Ernest Hemingway for the affections of a young nurse, and Jones worked as a translator for the Treaty of Versailles, and he saw the war come to its conclusion but lay down the groundwork for a second conflict.

Related Topics:
1916 - Western Front - Mata Hari - Albert Schweitzer - Ernest Hemingway - Treaty of Versailles

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Sometime after the war, Jones returned to the United States, where he studied archaeology at the University of Chicago under Professor Abner Ravenwood. At the same time, he became romantically involved with the Professor's daughter Marion.

Related Topics:
United States - Archaeology - University of Chicago

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Dr. Jones abruptly left the Ravenwoods in 1926 and did not contact them for 10 years. He divided his time between teaching and archaeological expeditions, including a journey to China and India in 1935 where he faced the gangster Lao Che and the followers of the cult of Kali (Temple of Doom). In 1936, he was contacted by the United States government to retrieve the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis (Raiders of the Lost Ark). He continued to take on infrequent missions for the government over the ensuing years. In 1938, Indy rescued his father from the Nazis and became embroiled in the search for the Holy Grail (Last Crusade).

Related Topics:
1926 - China - India - 1935 - Cult - Kali - Temple of Doom - 1936 - Ark of the Covenant - Nazi - Raiders of the Lost Ark - 1938 - Holy Grail - Last Crusade

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When last seen in 1993, Jones was living in New York City with his daughter and her family. Sporting an eyepatch and cane, he was stopping anyone within earshot to regale them with tales of his exploits. He seems remarkably spry for a man in his 90s—whether that is because of his drinking from the Grail is unknown.

Related Topics:
1993 - New York City

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