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Chuck Norris, the action star and martial artist, died on Friday at 86 \u2014 a reality that contrasts with the internet mythology portraying him as indestructible.<\/p>\n
The Walker, Texas Ranger <\/em>star had shared an Instagram video of himself sparring with his trainer<\/a> to mark his birthday on March 10, writing in the caption, \u201cI don\u2019t age. I level up.\u201d And it was that reputation as an invincible tough guy that fueled one of the internet\u2019s earliest and long-lasting memes: \u201cChuck Norris Facts<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n The joke format, which emerged in 2005, revolved around satirical and absurd facts about the actor. Think: \u201cChuck Norris\u2019 tears can cure cancer. Too bad he\u2019s never cried. EVER.\u201d The whole thing made him into a modern folk hero of exaggerated toughness.<\/p>\n For instance?<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Chuck Norris gets pulled over for speeding the cop writes himself a ticket.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChuck Norris doesn\u2019t dial the wrong number. You answered the wrong phone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChuck Norris can cut through a hot knife \u2026 With butter.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cChuck Norris\u2019 calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd. No one fools Chuck Norris.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChuck Norris once ate a bowl of alphabet soup. 24 hours later, he wrote a bestselling novel.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Chuck Norris left for college he told his father \u2026 You\u2019re the man of the house now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChuck Norris can boil fire on water.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChuck Norris cooks steaks with his gaze.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChuck Norris doesn\u2019t need a parachute. The ground moves.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChuck Norris hit 11 out of 10 targets with 9 bullets.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cChuck Norris can send texts on a rotary phone.\u201d<\/p>\n The meme\u2019s rise is largely credited to Ian Spector, a high school student in 2005, who compiled the jokes into a tool on his website that would generate new ones. It drew 10,000 users overnight,\u00a0and the meme became an internet sensation.<\/p>\n Norris himself leaned into the jokes. In a 2006 appearance on The Best Damn Sports Show Period<\/em>, he read a top 10 list of Chuck Norris facts. He also shared his personal favorite: \u201cThey wanted to put Chuck Norris\u2019s face on Mount Rushmore, but the granite wasn\u2019t hard enough for his beard.\u201d<\/p>\n Norris later copied the format in a video endorsing Mike Huckabee<\/a> in the 2008 Republican presidential primary.<\/p>\n Spector told ESPN<\/a> that he later met Norris and received his blessing to continue the project. However, the actor eventually pursued legal action<\/a> against Spector over a related book series that used Norris\u2019s likeness.<\/p>\n Now two decades later, the Chuck Norris facts meme is instantly recognizable, with new variations continuing to circulate, especially in response to news of Norris\u2019s death.<\/p>\n The man may be gone, but the myth lives on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n