Kirk Douglas is a legend in Hollywood. On Sunday (December 9), he celebrated his 102nd birthday in the company of his wife, Anne. He was in a wheelchair since he suffered a stroke. Other members of his family, including his son Michael and daughter-in-law Catherine Zeta-Jones, were also present. The Daily Mail UK reports Kirk Douglas is an immigrant and was born in Amsterdam, New York on December 9, 1916. His name was Issur Danielovitch Demsky. That was later changed to Kirk Douglas.

He rose in stature from humble beginnings

In his early days, Kirk Douglas held a number of odd jobs to augment the family income.

He fell in love with acting and completed a course on it. Then came his Broadway debut, but when WWII broke out, he enlisted. However, he had to leave in 1944 on medical grounds and soon after that, he made his feature film debut. It was in 1946 and the film was “The Strange Love of Martha Ivers.” His next film was “I Walk Alone,” with Burt Lancaster. The duo starred together in eight films.

His acting abilities earned for him many award nominations. The first Academy Award nomination was in 1949 for “Champion,” followed by the second for the 1952 classic “The Bold and Beautiful.” Then came another Oscar nomination for “Lust for Life,” in 1956. It was a biopic of Vincent van Gogh. After that, “Spartacus” happened in 1960.

That film was nominated for six Academy Awards. Last year, on his 101st birthday, he got a standing ovation at the Golden Globe Awards.

His other memorable films were “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” in 1954, "Lonely are the Brave," in 1962 and “Gunfight at OK Corral,” in 1957.

Westerns have not lost their charm, as is seen by Coen brothers' new western film on Netflix. Douglas is a film star that has stood the test of time and has been well-deserving of all accolades that he has received over the years.

The city of Amsterdam honors him

That Daily Gazette added that Kirk Douglas is the most famous native son of Amsterdam, NY.

To commemorate the occasion of his 102nd birthday, the city unveiled a historic plaque. It will mark the house where he grew up. The address was 46 Eagle St., and it still stands there as the last house on a dead end street. From humble beginnings, he became a celebrity of Hollywood and appeared in over 90 films. There will be a pole to mount the historic marker and it will be placed in a prominent place in the neighborhood. In my opinion, the role of Doc Holliday in the 1957 movie “Gunfight at OK Corral” was one of his best.