Billy the Kid - 1859 - 1881
Billy the Kid was born Henry McCarty, and later went by William Bonney. When his mother died of tuberculosis, Billy the Kid was orphaned as a teenager. He was separated from his brother and moved into the foster homes, eventually falling into a life of crime. By 1876, he had joined a gang stealing horses, and was charged in the murder of a blacksmith. He eventually joined a posse known as the Regulators. The posse, which looked to avenge the murder of a cattleman, joined in the Lincoln County War, helping to propel Billy the Kids name into the popular media of the time. Pat Garrett killed Billy the Kid on July 14, 1881.