*Ø* Blogmanac October 8, 1939 | Paul Hogan, Australian comedian

Paul Hogan is perhaps best known in Australia for popularising three myths about Australia: that Australians are rural dwellers (in fact, Australia is the most urbanised nation on earth); that Australians call prawns ‘shrimps’ (in fact, they call prawns ‘prawns’); and that Australians cook prawns on barbecues (a practice unknown prior to a successful series of US advertisements featuring Hogan, and probably fabricated by a copywriter on Madison Venue, New York).

The star of Crocodile Dundee (1986), was born in Lightning Ridge, NSW and was discovered in a 'New Faces' talent quest while employed as a rigger on the Sydney Harbour Bridge – two Aussie icons side-by-side. Hogan (‘Hoges’) made his name as an occasional comedian on Mike Willesee's ATN 7 current affairs program, and soon was granted his own show, an excruciating, Benny Hill-like compendium of corn.

Still, he found a big audience somehow and went on, in 1986, to become Australia’s biggest box office star, via a lucrative series of cigarette commercials in the 1970s.

Thirteen years after its release, Crocodile Dundee remains the most successful Australian film ever made. Its $328 million gross was at the time the 10th biggest in world history.