Jesse Owens - American track and field athlete
(Sept 12, 1913 - March 31, 1980)
(Wikipedia Images)
Interesting facts about Jesse Owens:
He was actually born James Cleveland Owens, but when a teacher asked him his name, she misunderstood his southern accent when he said "J.C." and thought he said "Jesse". (Born in Alabama, moved to Ohio) Ever since he's been known as Jesse Owens.
- He set THREE World Records in 1935 (one being the long jump; a record that lasted 25 years!).
- He achieved international fame by winning 4 gold medals in 1936 for the 100m, 200m, long jump and 4x100m relay team.
- Owens received the first sponsorship for a male African American athlete from Adidas (shoes).
- President Eisenhower named him the "Ambassador of Sports" (prior to that both Presidents Roosevelt and Truman failed to acknowledge him).
- He "was allowed to travel with and stay in the same hotels as whites" in Berlin, but back in the States he "had to ride the freight elevator to attend his own reception at the Waldorf-Astoria".
"The only bond worth anything between human beings is their humanness" ~ Jesse Owens
No comments:
Post a Comment