10 historical facts about Billy the Kid

1. Little is known of Billy the Kid's birth. In fact, historians often disagree about Billy's younger days. His birth date is often given as November 23, 1859.
2. Even his real name is not known for sure. The most common names given for Billy the Kid are William H. Bonney, William Henry McCarty Jr., and Henry Antrim.
3. The Kid was apparently arrested for the very first time in 1875. Some sources claim it occurred in April for stealing some cheese. Other sources say Billy was arrested in September of 1875 for being caught with some stolen laundry.
4. Some accounts record that Billy was first called "the Kid" in 1877.
5. The first man killed by Billy was a blacksmith named Frank Cahill. Supposedly Cahill and Billy got into an argument and Cahill picked Billy up and threw him to the ground. Billy then reportedly got up with a revolver drawn and gunned Cahill down.
6. Though history does record that Billy was an acquaintance of Pat Garrett, the man who eventually killed the Kid, there is no evidence the two were actually friends.
7. The exact number of men killed by Billy the Kid is not known. Some historians have suggested Billy only killed as many as five men, while others speculate Billy killed as many as 25.
8. Billy reportedly could speak Spanish as well as he could English.
9. Despite rumors to the opposite, Billy was right handed. A backward photograph of the Kid has often given the impression he was left handed, but he was not.
10. Billy was killed July 14, 1881, shot to death by then Sheriff Pat Garrett near Fort Sumner, New Mexico.