Geronimo, actual name Goyathlay ("One Who Yawns"), (June 16, 1829–February 17, 1909) was a prominent Native American leader of the Apache who long warred against the encroachment of settlers of European descent on tribal lands.

Geronimo was born in what is now the state of New Mexico and according to the maps of the time was part of Mexico, but which his family considered Bedonkohe Apache land. Geronimo himself was a Chiricahua Apache. He grew up to be a respected medicine man and an accomplished warrior who fought frequently with Mexican troops. His Mexican adversaries gave him the nickname of "Geronimo", the Spanish language version of the name "Jerome".

Geronimo fought against ever increasing numbers of both Mexican and United States troops and became famous for his daring exploits and numerous escapes from capture.

Geronimo's forces became the last major force of independent Indian warriors who refused to acknowledge the United States Government in the American West. This came to an end on September 4, 1886, when Geronimo surrendered to United States Army General Nelson Miles at Skeleton Canyon , Arizona.

Geronimo was sent in as a prisoner to Fort Pickens, Florida . In 1894 he was moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma . In his old age Geronimo became something of a celebrity, appearing at fairs and selling souvenirs and photographs of himself, but not allowed to return to the land of his birth. He rode in President Theodore Roosevelt's 1905 inaugural parade. Geronimo died of pneumonia at Fort Sill.

Geronimo in pop culture

Geronimo is a popular figure in cinema and television.

Features named Geronimo have been released in 1939 , and 1962 . Other features where Geronimo is featured include Geronimo's Last Raid (1912), Hawk of the Wilderness (1938), Valley of the Sun (1942), I Killed Geronimo (1950), Broken Arrow (1950) Outpost (1951), (1952), The Battle at Apache Pass (1952), Indian Uprising (1952), Taza, Son of Cochise (1954), Walk the Proud Land (1956), (1993), War of the Buttons (1994).

Geronimo was in 1979 film Mr. Horn , even though Tom Horn and Geronimo never met, let alone precede in the events of the movie.

In 1993, there was Geronimo , a telefilm. The series Gunsmoke had a reunion movie in 1990, called . West Germany produced Geronimo und die Räuber in 1966.

In the film I Due superpiedi quasi piatti (1976), there is a kid who believes he is Geronimo. Anime television series also features a highly stereotyped native wrestler, based loosely on the historical figure.

In 1940, the night before their first mass jump, U.S. paratroopers at Fort Benning saw a film about Geronimo, and began shouting his name during jumps, a trend which has caught on elsewhere.

Other meanings

• Geronimo is also the name for a J2EE server that is in development.

External links

• Geronimo at Indians.org
• Goyakla
• Geronimo Project Incubation status
• New York Times obituary
• The "Geronimo in pop culture" section above references Tom Horn. More information on Tom Horn is available at Tom-Horn.com