Owens, Jesse (1913-1980), was an American track-and-field star. His performances during the mid-1930’s in college and in the Olympic Games made him one of the most famous athletes in sports history.
Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. He won the 100-meter and 200-meter races and the broad jump (now called the long jump), and he was a member of the winning American 400-meter relay team. He set Olympic records in the 200-meter race and in the broad jump. The performance of Owens, who was black, was embarrassing to Adolf Hitler, the ruler of Germany. Hitler and his followers were hoping that German athletes would prove that the Aryans—a term they used for Germans and certain other peoples of northern Europe—were superior to all other peoples.
Loading the player...Jesse Owens at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games
Owens was born in Oakville, Alabama, near Danville, on Sept. 12, 1913. His given and family name was James Cleveland Owens. His nickname, Jesse, came from his initials, J. C. Owens was the son of a sharecropper. At the age of 9, he moved with his family to Cleveland. Owens excelled in track and field while attending Ohio State University from 1933 to 1936. At a college meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1935, he broke three world records and tied a fourth within 45 minutes. Owens set seven world records during his career.
Owens eventually went into the public relations business. He worked in community service, especially youth work. He traveled widely, giving many speeches that supported clean living, fair play, and patriotism. Owens believed that athletic competition could help solve racial and political problems. He died on March 31, 1980.
