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Billy Graham

William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist, a prominent evangelical Christian figure, and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well-known internationally in the late 1940s. One of his biographers has placed him "among the most influential Christian leaders" of the 20th century. As a preacher, he held large indoor and outdoor rallies with sermons that were broadcast on radio and television; some were still being re-broadcast into the 21st century. In his six decades on television, Graham hosted annual "Crusades", evangelistic campaigns that ran from 1947 until his retirement in 2005. He also hosted the radio show Hour of Decision from 1950 to 1954. He repudiated racial segregation and insisted on racial integration for his revivals and crusades, starting in 1953; he also invited Martin Luther King Jr. to preach jointly at a revival in New York City in 1957. In addition to his religious aims, he helped shape the worldview of a huge number of people who came from different backgrounds, leading them to find a relationship between the Bible and contemporary secular viewpoints. According to his website, Graham preached to live audiences of 210 million people in more than 185 countries and territories through various meetings, including BMS World Mission and Global Mission. Graham was a spiritual adviser to U.S. presidents, and he provided spiritual counsel for every president from Harry S. Truman (33rd) to Barack Obama (44th). He was particularly close to Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson (one of Graham's closest friends), and Richard Nixon. He was also lifelong friends with another televangelist, the founding pastor of the Crystal Cathedral, Robert Schuller, whom Graham talked into starting his own television ministry. Graham operated a variety of media and publishing outlets. According to his staff, more than 3.2 million people have responded to the invitation at Billy Graham Crusades to "accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior". Graham's evangelism was appreciated by mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic denominations because he encouraged new converts to become members of these churches. As of 2008, Graham's estimated lifetime audience, including radio and television broadcasts, topped 2.2 billion. One special televised broadcast in 1996 alone may have reached a television audience of as many as 2.5 billion people worldwide. Because of his crusades, Graham preached the gospel to more people in person than anyone in the history of Christianity. Graham was on Gallup's list of most admired men and women a record 61 times. Grant Wacker writes that by the mid-1960s, he had become the "Great Legitimator": "By then his presence conferred status on presidents, acceptability on wars, shame on racial prejudice, desirability on decency, dishonor on indecency, and prestige on civic events". From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


Read bio at tmdb | Read bio at Wikipedia
Born:
Nov 7, 1918 In Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
25
First Appeared:
In the movie Wiretapper 1955-08-10
Latest Project:
Movie Biography: Dusty Rhodes 2023-04-09
Known For
Poster of Something to Sing About
Poster of The Woody Allen Special
Poster of The Restless Ones
Poster of Wiretapper
Filmography
Movie Biography: Dusty Rhodes Self (archive footage) 2023-04-09
Movie Straight Edge Kegger Fence Runner 2019-03-16
Movie Rules Don't Apply Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 2016-11-23
Movie Nixon by Nixon: In His Own Words Self (archive footage) 2014-08-04
Movie The History of WWE: 50 Years of Sports Entertainment Superstar Billy Graham 2013-11-18
Movie The True Story of WrestleMania 'Superstar' Billy Graham (archive footage) 2011-03-13
Movie WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time "Superstar" Billy Graham 2010-12-07
Movie WWE: 20 Years Too Soon - The Superstar Billy Graham Story Superstar Billy Graham 2006-06-20
Movie WWE Hall of Fame 2004 2004-03-12
Movie Something to Sing About Himself 2000-06-10
Movie The Home Coming himself 1996-01-01
Movie Fist Fighter Arm Wrestler 1989-05-12
Movie WWE WrestleMania IV "Superstar" Billy Graham (Manager) 1988-03-27
Movie Caught Billy Graham (uncredited) 1987-09-11
Movie Cry from the Mountain Himself 1985-11-01
Movie NWA Starrcade '85: The Gathering "Superstar" Billy Graham 1985-11-28
Movie NWA Starrcade '84: The Million Dollar Challenge "Superstar" Graham 1984-11-22
Movie Born Again Rev. Billy Graham 1978-10-01
Movie The Wrestler Superstar Billy Graham 1974-04-28
Movie The Woody Allen Special Self 1969-09-21
Movie Two A Penny 1967-12-31
Movie The Restless Ones Himself 1965-12-02
Movie Shadow of the Boomerang Self 1961-08-07
Series The Steve Allen Show Unknown 1956-06-24
Movie Wiretapper Himself (archive footage) 1955-08-10
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