Massively Popular Fictional Character from North Dakota Just Turned 100

So many things have come out of North Dakota over the years: Dots Pretzels, Mr. Bubble, even the modern clothes dryer, all were developed and invented in North Dakota.

We have several celebrities who are from North Dakota or have North Dakota ties.

Josh Duhamel

Wiz Khalifa

Macaulay Culkin

and Carson Wentz, to name a few.

(Also See: Did You Know Macaulay Culkin Has Ties To North Dakota?)

So many great things come from North Dakota, but there is one thing you might have missed.

There is an incredibly famous fictional character that is from, you guessed it, the great state of North Dakota.

Famous Literature

Most of us were required to read this book in high school, but even if you didn't have to read it, you probably did. If not that, you've probably seen the movie adaptation.

Do you remember a character by the name of Jay Gatsby? Of course you do! F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" is an insanely popular book. I remember writing a literary analysis on it.

Do you remember Leonardo DiCaprio playing the character in the movie? It was great.

If you don't remember the book or film, here's a refresher:

The Great Gatsby is a story about a young man born in poverty with a determination to start a better life for himself. According to Britanicca it is set in the Jazz age of New York (1920). After becoming a self-made millionaire, the protagonist, Jay Gatsby, chases after a former lover, born to a wealthy family-- a young woman named Daisy Buchanan.

I won't ruin the whole story, but it doesn't end well for Gatsby.

North Dakota Beginning

I'm sure you're wondering, "What does Gatsby have to do with North Dakota?" In the book and movie there is mention that this incredibly animated and high-spirited character's humble beginnings were in North Dakota.

The author of this book was originally from Minnesota, our neighboring state, and it seems he wrote the character based on his knowledge of North Dakota's rough and tough environment during that time period.

According to LitHub, very few people know he's from North Dakota, because it is only mentioned once when the author writes, that Gatsby (Formerly James Gatz) was born on a North Dakota farm. This can be found in Chapter 6.

According to Inforum, the book is celebrating 100 years on April 10th, 2025, when the book was first published. So, the very famous Jay Gatsby, a North Dakota farm boy, is turning 100 years old! How cool is that? I don't know about you, but I plan on rewatching the movie to celebrate.