It has been more than 45 years since Bruce Lee passed away at the young age of 32. Today, November 27th, he would have completed 79 years, The iconic martial arts actor pioneered the various combat disciplines that paved the way for modern mixed martial arts. Bruce Lee is often credited for helping change the way Asian American actors were represented on-screen. To date, various films and shows continue to pay homage to Bruce Lee.

Read Bruce Lee: Reminiscing The Best Movies By The Martial Artist On His Birthday

Here are some of the lesser-known facts of Bruce Lee

1. Bruce Lee was partly German

The fourth of the five children born to his parents, Bruce Lee was also partly German. This is because his grandfather was a pure-bred German Catholic. This relation hindered his ability to enroll in some of the most prominent Kung Fu schools, back in the 1950s, because of his non-Chinese lineage. 

2. He was born in San Francisco

Bruce Lee was born in the Californian city of San Francisco on November 27, 1940. He was the son of Cantonese opera star Lee Hoi-Chuen. He would later emigrate back to San Francisco before turning 18, after having being raised in Hong Kong. Bruce Lee eventually moved to Seattle. 

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3. He was one of the first people to have tried contact lenses

Contact lenses are commonplace in today's time. Back when Bruce Lee was working, he used to suffer from near-sightedness. He used to rely on Wing Chun's contact-centred movement because it allowed him to rely on his touch rather than sight. Bruce Lee was one of the first people to use contact lense, but he was uncomfortable with it and stopped using it eventually. 

4. Game Of Death references in Kill Bill

The 1978 film Game Of Death utilized footage from the 1973 film of the same name, which was directed, written, produced by and starring Bruce Lee, in his final film attempt. The actor during the making of the film. In 2003, director Quentin Tarantino made the action entertainer Kill Bill, starring Uma Thurman. The film paid homages to various films and genres, and one of the references was the yellow-and-black tracksuit that Uma Thurman adorned in the film. It was a homage to Bruce Lee's outfit in the posthumously released film. 

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5. He is buried alongside his son in Seattle 

Bruce Lee died in 1973 at the young age of 32. In 1993, his son, Brandon Lee, died on the sets of his film, The Crow, in a tragic accident. He was just 28. Bruce Lee and his son are buried alongside each other at the Lake View Cemetry, Seattle. 

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