Western gunfighter, friend of Wyatt Earp. Born August 14, 1851 as John Henry Holliday. Called "Doc" because he was a trained Dentist. After finding out that he had tuberculosis, he moved out West because doctors told him that dry air would prolong his life by a few months. Met Wyatt, and became one of the most fearsome gunfighters ever. Most people say it was because of the tuberculosis. He didn't care about this life, as he was dying anyway. He participated in over 100 gunfights and wasn't even shot once. Participated in the famous O.K. Corral gunfight. He was told he had months to live in 1873, but lived until November 8, 1887 where he died in a hospital bed.

What most people don't understand about "Doc" was that he was only by kinship to Wyatt Earp a good man. He was not a good man he was vile, murderous, and just down right mean.
For those of you who think "Doc Holiday" is cool (thanks to the Hollywood fraud Tombstone) at least treat yourself to more truthful "Wyatt Earp" movie starring Kevin Costner or at least go pickup some books on the subject.

motorboshi Was not entirely correct when he said that Doc was never shot in his 100+ gunfights. He was actually struck during his most famous encounter, the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

This isn't to say that he actually sustained any injuries during the fight. The last of the cowboys to go down shot at Doc and hit his holster causing it to spin around Holliday's waist. This resulted in a superficial wound on his left hip.

Some say that this enraged the drunken dentist even more. He had come so close to death and survived. Doc's demeanor during his gunfights showed an honest disregard for life, both the life of his soon to be dead competitor and his own. Having walked out of such a dangerous situation with the Wild West's equivilant to a scraped knee pissed him off more than had he been shot and legitimately wounded.

Doc may have died in a hospital bed, but it was not in a hospital. He in fact died at the Glenwood Hotel. The "Hollywood fraud Tombstone" indeed erroneously shows Doc dying at the Sanitarium (which wouldn't exist until 1908).

According to the old west expert (TaintedTex), "he was only by kinship to Wyatt Earp a good man." Consider this: "I am a friend of Doc Holliday because when I was city marshal of Dodge City, Kansas, he came to my rescue and saved my life when I was surrounded by desperadoes" -Wyatt Earp

Actually, in his lifetime, Doc sustained more than just a minor scrape. On July 4, 1877, in Breckenridge, Texas John Henry was shot and seriously wounded. Doc had caned Henry Kahn (the other party) with a walking stick earlier in the day. The Dallas Morning Herald actually made a false report that Holliday had died, and his family was notified. Both men were arrested and fined.