What was Jesse Owens known for?
Jesse Owens is remembered as an Olympian track star and long jumper.
Where was Jesse Owens from?
Owens was born in Oakville, Alabama, in 1913.
What year did Jesse Owens win his gold medals?
How many gold medals did Jesse Owens win?
Jesse Owens won 4 gold medals in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He won gold in the long jump, the 100 and 200-meter dashes, and the 4 x 100-meter relay.
True or False: Hilter was in power during the 1936 Olympics.
True. At the time, Hitler was in power, and the German belief was that the Aryan Race held a physical and mental superiority over all others. As an African-American, Owens is credited for helping to discredit that belief.
What did Owens not get to do because of his race?
Please select 2 correct answers
Following his Olympic success, Owens struggled to return to the life of an African-American in the US. He did not receive an invitation to meet the president (later endorsing his opponent for re-election), nor was he able to enter the hotel's front door holding his victory party.
Where did Jesse Owens go to college?
True or False: Owens is one of the highest-recognized athletes in American history.
True. He continues to be one of the highest recognized athletes in American history, coming in 6th in a 1999 ESPN list of the Greatest North American Athletes of the 20th Century.
How did Jesse Owens die?
Owens passed away from smoking-related lung cancer in 1980. After his passing, USA Track & Field named their highest award after Owens.