On May 27, 1995, Superman star Christopher Reeve suffered a catastrophic accident that would forever alter the course of his life. While participating in an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia, Reeve was thrown from his horse, Eastern Express, after the animal abruptly stopped before a jump. Reeve landed headfirst, fracturing his first and second cervical vertebrae and severing his spinal cord. The injury left him paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a ventilator to breathe for the rest of his life—a shocking and devastating turn for the man best known for playing a hero who was nearly impervious to harm. 

Long before our big and small screens were flooded with superheroes and intergalactic adventures, one character (and the man who portrayed him) not only defined the genre but inspired a generation of moviegoers to cheer on truth, justice and the American way. Sure, it was corny, but there was one special actor who had the look, the charisma, and the genuine goodness to convincingly bring Superman to life — the effortlessly-talented Reeve.