Patrick Swayze: 15 things you didn't know

By Eric Sandler

On August 18th, 1952 Patrick Swayze was born in Houston, Texas. Upon his untimely death in 2009 due to an advanced form of pancreatic cancer, the New York Times remembered him as an "actor with physical grace." His "Dirty Dancing" co-star Jennifer Grey called him a "rare and beautiful combination of raw masculinity and amazing grace." Others remembered his iconic roles ("Ghost," "Dirty Dancing," "The Outsiders," "Red Dawn," etc.), his emotional side, his good-natured personality, or his downright sexiness. To us, he'll always simply be among the best.

In honor of his birthday, scroll through above as we count down 15 stories, fun facts, and memories you didn't know about Patrick Swayze.