Olympic medalist
Medal record
Men's athletics
Gold	1936 Berlin	100 m
Gold	1936 Berlin	200 m
Gold	1936 Berlin	4 x 100 m relay
Gold	1936 Berlin	Long jump

James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980) was an African American track and field athlete. Athletics, known as Track and Field in the United States has been contested at every Summer Olympics since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, 29 athletics events were contested 23 for men and 6 for women The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, 29 athletics events were contested 23 for men and 6 for women The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, 29 athletics events were contested 23 for men and 6 for women The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, 29 athletics events were contested 23 for men and 6 for women Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the long jump, and as part of the 4x100 meter relay team. The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The long jump is an Athletics (track and field event in which athletes combine speed strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far from the take-off point as possible

Childhood

James Cleveland Owens was born in Lawrence County, Alabama, in the Oakville community, to Henry and Emma Owens. Lawrence County is a County of the US state of Alabama, and is included in the Decatur Metropolitan Area, as well as the Huntsville-Decatur Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. Oakville is a small community located in Lawrence County Alabama. When Owens was nine, his father moved to the Glenville section of Cleveland, Ohio. Glenville is a neighborhood in the Eastern section of Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state Owens was the grandson of a slave and the son of a sharecropper. Sharecropping is a system of agriculture or agricultural production in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crop produced on the land (e He was often sick with what his mother reportedly called "the devil's cold". He was given the name Jesse by a teacher in Cleveland who did not understand his country accent when the young boy said he was called J. C.

Life in the ghetto was not prosperous for the family. Owens had taken different jobs in his spare time: He delivered groceries, loaded freight cars and worked in a shoe repair shop. ^[1] During this period Owens realized that he had a passion for running.

Throughout his life Owens attributed the success of his athletic career to the encouragement of Charles Riley, his junior-high track coach at Fairview Junior High, who had put him on the track team (see also Harrison Dillard, a Cleveland athlete inspired by Owens). William Harrison Dillard (born July 8, 1923) is an American athlete, the only male so far to win Olympic titles in both sprinting Since Owens worked in a shoe repair shop after school, Riley allowed him to practice before school instead.

Owens first came to national attention when he was a student of East Technical High School in Cleveland; he equaled the world record of 9. East Technical High School or East Tech is a secondary school under the operation of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District in Cleveland, Ohio 4 seconds in the 100-yard (91 m) dash and long-jumped 24 feet 9 ½ inches (7. 56 m) at the 1933 National High School Championship in Chicago. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. ^[2]

NCAA

Owens attended the Ohio State University only after employment was found for his father, ensuring the family could be supported. The Ohio State University ( OSU) is a Coeducational public Research university in the state of Ohio. He was affectionately known as the "Buckeye Bullet" and won a record eight individual NCAA championships, four each in 1935 and 1936. The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations The record of four golds at the NCAA has only been equaled by Xavier Carter in 2006, although his titles also included relay medals. Xavier ("X-Man" Carter (born December 8, 1985 in Palm Bay Florida) is an American professional Track and field athlete However, while Owens was enjoying athletic success, he had to live off-campus with other African-American athletes. When he traveled with the team, Owens could either order carry out or eat at "black-only" restaurants. Likewise, he slept in "black-only" hotels. Owens was never awarded a scholarship, so he continued to work part-time jobs to pay for school. ^[1]

Owens' greatest achievement came in a span of 45 minutes on May 25, 1935 at the Big Ten meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he set three world records and tied a fourth. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ann Arbor is a city in the US state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. A world record is the best performance in a certain discipline usually a Sports event He equaled the world record for the 100 yard (91 m) sprint (9. 4 seconds) and set world records in the long jump (26 feet 8¼ inches (8. The long jump is an Athletics (track and field event in which athletes combine speed strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far from the take-off point as possible 13 m), a world record that would last 25 years), 220 yard (201 m) sprint (20. 7 seconds), and the 220-yard (200 m) low hurdles (22. 6 seconds to become the first person to break 23 seconds). In fact, in 2005 both NBC sports announcer Bob Costas and University of Central Florida professor of sports history Richard C. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas (born March 22, 1952) is a Sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s Crepeau chose this as the most impressive athletic achievement since 1850. ^[3]

Owens was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter organization established for African Americans. Alpha Phi Alpha ( ΑΦΑ) is the first intercollegiate fraternity established by African Americans Founded on December 4 1906 on the campus of The Greek alphabet (Ελληνικό αλφάβητο is a set of twenty-four letters that has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early Fraternities and sororities (from the Latin words la frater and la soror, meaning "brother" and "sister" respectively are fraternal

Jesse Owens on running track.

Berlin Olympics

In 1936 Owens arrived in Berlin to compete for the United States in the Summer Olympics. The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin Adolf Hitler was using the games to show the world a resurgent Nazi Germany. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German He and other government officials had high hopes German athletes would dominate the games with victories (the German athletes did indeed achieve a top of the table medal haul). Meanwhile, Nazi propaganda promoted concepts of "Aryan racial superiority" and depicted ethnic Africans as inferior. Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people Aryan is an English word derived from the Sanskrit " Ārya " meaning "noble" or "honorable" This is a list of African ethnic groups. The Yoruba, Igbo, Oromo and Hausa are among the largest indeginous African ethnic groups See

Owens surprised many by winning four gold medals: On August 3, 1936 he won the 100m sprint, defeating Ralph Metcalfe; on August 4, the long jump (later crediting friendly and helpful advice from German competitor Luz Long); on August 5, the 200m sprint; and, after he was added to the 4 x 100 m relay team, his fourth on August 9 (a performance not equaled until Carl Lewis won gold medals in the same events at the 1984 Summer Olympics). Events 8 - Roman Empire General Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Not to be confused with early 19th century New Hampshire politician Ralph Metcalf Ralph Harold Metcalfe ( May 30, 1910 &ndash Events 70 - The Destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. The long jump is an Athletics (track and field event in which athletes combine speed strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far from the take-off point as possible Carl Ludwig "Lu(tz" Long ( 27 April 1913 in Leipzig &ndash 13 July 1943 in San Pietro Clarenza) was a German Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. A 200 metre race is a sprint running event On an outdoor 400 m track the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight so a combination of techniques are needed to Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Frederick Carlton ("Carl" Lewis (born July 1 1961 is a retired American track and field athlete who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 golds and 10 The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Los Angeles,

The long jump victory is documented, along with many other 1936 events, in Olympia (1938 film) by Leni Riefenstahl. Olympia is a 1938 film by Leni Riefenstahl documenting the 1936 Summer Olympics, held in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl ( August 22 1902 – September 8 2003) was a German Film director

On the first day, Hitler shook hands only with the German victors and then left the stadium (some claimed this was to avoid having to shake hands with Cornelius Johnson, who was African-American, while a Nazi spokesman claimed that Hitler's exit had been pre-scheduled because of a previous appointment). Cornelius Cooper Johnson (August 28 1913 &ndash February 15 1946 was an African-American athlete in the High jump. Olympic committee officials then insisted Hitler greet each and every medalist or none at all. Hitler opted for the latter and skipped all further medal presentations. ^[4][5] On reports that Hitler had deliberately avoided acknowledging his victories, and had refused to shake his hand, Owens recounted:^[6]

Jesse Owens on the podium after winning the long jump at the 1936 Summer Olympics

He also stated:^[7]

Jesse Owens was never invited to the White House nor bestowed any honors by Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) or Harry S. Truman during their terms. In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower acknowledged Owens' accomplishments, naming him an "Ambassador of Sports. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general "

Owens was cheered enthusiastically by 110,000 people in Berlin's Olympic Stadium and later ordinary Germans sought his autograph when they saw him in the streets. Owens was allowed to travel with and stay in the same hotels as whites, an irony at the time given that blacks in the United States were denied equal rights. The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse After a New York ticker-tape parade in his honor, Owens had to ride the freight elevator to attend his own reception at the Waldorf-Astoria. A ticker-tape parade is a Parade event held in a downtown urban setting allowing the jettison of large amounts of shredded paper products from nearby Office The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel is a famously luxurious hotel in New York ^[8]

Post Olympics

After the games had finished, Owens was invited, along with the rest of the team, to compete in Sweden. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. However he decided to capitalise on his success by returning to the United States to take up some of the lucrative commercial offers he was receiving. American athletic officials were furious and withdrew his amateur status, ending his career immediately. Owens was livid: "A fellow desires something for himself," he said.

With no sporting appearances to bolster his profile, the lucrative offers never quite materialised. Instead he was forced to try to make a living as a sports promoter, essentially an entertainer. He would give local sprinters a ten or twenty yard start and beat them in the 100 yd (91 m) dash. He also challenged and defeated racehorses although as he revealed later, the trick was to race a high-strung thoroughbred horse that would be frightened by the starter's shotgun and give him a bad jump.

He soon found himself running a dry-cleaning business and then even working as a gas station attendant. He eventually filed for bankruptcy but, even then, his problems were not over and in 1966 he was successfully prosecuted for tax evasion. At rock bottom, the rehabilitation began and he started work as a U. S. 'goodwill ambassador'. Owens traveled the world and spoke to companies like the Ford Motor Company and the United States Olympic Committee. After he retired, he occupied himself by racing horses. He would always stress the importance of religion, hard work, and loyalty. In 1968, he received some criticism for supporting the racially turbulent XIX Olympic Games held that year. The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Mexico City

The Jesse Owens Foundation provides information, materials, and direction for research on the life of Jesse Owens. It is governed by a Board of Directors with oversight provided by a Managing Director. The Foundation is supported by special events and contributions from the community at large. Since 1983, the Foundation has provided more than 3,500 young people throughout the United States with support for their college education.

Jesse Owens was inducted to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1970. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976 by Gerald Ford and (posthumously) the Congressional Gold Medal by George H. W. Bush on March 28, 1990. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a decoration bestowed by the President of the United States and is along with the equivalent Congressional Gold Medal bestowed Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr (July 14 1913 December 26 2006 was the thirty-eighth President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 and the fortieth Vice President Not to be confused with the Medal of Honor, sometimes called the "Congressional Medal of Honor" which is the highest military decoration of the United States George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) In 1984, a street in Berlin was renamed for him, and the Jesse Owens Realschule/Oberschule (a secondary school) is in Berlin-Lichtenberg. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. His birthplace in Oakville dedicated a park in his honor in 1996, at the same time the Olympic Torch came through the community, 60 years after his Olympic triumph.

A pack-a-day smoker for 35 years, Owens died of lung cancer at age 66 in Tucson, Arizona. Lung cancer is a Disease of uncontrolled Cell growth in tissues of the Lung. Tucson (ˈtuːsɒn is the seat of Pima County Arizona, United States, located 118 miles (188 km) southeast He is buried in Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago. Oak Woods Cemetery was established in 1854 – five years earlier than Rosehill and Calvary – on an area of 74  ha (183 Acres located at Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States.

A few months before his death, Owens had tried unsuccessfully to convince President Jimmy Carter not to boycott the 1980 Olympics held in Moscow, arguing that the Olympic ideal was to be a time-out from war and above politics.

Personal Life and Family

Owens and Minnie Ruth Solomon met at Fairmount Junior High School in Cleveland when he was fifteen and she was thirteen. They dated steadily throughout high school and Ruth gave birth to their first baby daughter, Gloria, in 1932. They were married in 1935 and had two more daughters: Marlene, born in 1937, and Beverly, born in 1940. ^{[9] [10]}

Owens' great-nephew, Chris Owens, an American professional basketball player, is a member of German league team ALBA Berlin. Haywood Chris Owens (born March 1 1979) is an American professional Basketball player presently with the Turkish team Galatasaray Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m History The team won seven consecutive German League titles between the years 1997 and 2003 ^[11]

Tributes

Jesse Owens has received several tributes in recent years, all after his death. In 1984 a street close to the Olympic Stadium Berlin was renamed Jesse-Owens-Allee. Two U. S. postage stamps have been issued to honor Owens, one in 1990 and another in 1998. Additionally, in Phoenix, Arizona, there is the Jesse Owens Medical Plaza, named in his honor. It is located on the southeast corner of Baseline Rd. and Jesse Owens Parkway (another namesake).

References

External links

• Official website
• Obituary, New York Times, April 1, 1980
• Jesse Owens Museum
• Jesse Owens Information
• Jesse at the Internet Movie Database
• Official "Jesse Owens Movie" Website
• Owens's accomplishments and encounter with Adolf Hitler (ESPN)
• Jesse Owens video newsreel
• Jesse Owens video in Riefenstahl's Olympia (1936)
• Jesse Owens' U.S. Olympic Team bio
• Path of the Olympic Torch to Owens' birthplace in North Alabama