Edgar Rice Burroughs created the fictional character Tarzan in 1912. Tarzan first appeared in the novel Tarzan of the Apes. Tarzan later appeared in twenty-three sequels and 88 movies. Tarzan has also appeared on radio, television, stage, comic books, and video games.
One of the most famous portrayals on the big screen is by Johnny Weissmuller. Weissmuller was an American swimmer and actor who won a total of five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal in the 1924 Olympics. He portrayed Tarzan on-screen from 1932 to 1948 and is considered the definitive Tarzan.
Tarzan is the son of a British Lord and Lady who were marooned in Africa. After his parents die, Tarzan is adopted by a tribe of apes known as Mangani. They raise Tarzan as one of their own. His ape name Tarzan means white-skin; his English name is John Clayton, Lord Greystoke. Tarzan meets a young American woman named Jane Porter. He falls in love with her and in later books they marry.
