Ernest Hemingway was born on this day in 1899 — if he were alive, it’d be his 115th birthday. To celebrate, we’ve wrangled up 15 photos that best illustrate his adventuresome spirit.

The events of his life sound like the stuff of novels: his service as an ambulance driver during World War I, his two near-death experiences while on a safari in Africa, his sail through the Caribbean aboard a 38-foot fishing boat. His rugged life earned him a reputation for being almost comically masculine, and when the words “alpha male” are uttered, he’s one of the examples that springs to mind.

Below are 15 photos of Ernest Hemingway being the ultimate alpha male: