Jesse Owens Autogramm

Profession:
(1913 - 1980) Leichtathlet, der sich auf Sprints und Weitsprung spezialisiert hat

Year of Birth: 1913

Jesse Owens, born as James Cleveland Owens, was an American track and field athlete and four-time Olympic gold medalist in the 1936 Summer Olympics. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Owens was born on September 12, 1913, in Oakville, Alabama. He was the youngest of 10 children born to Henry and Mary Emma Owens. His parents were sharecroppers and his childhood was marked by poverty and racism. He was inspired to take up athletics while attending Fairmount Junior High School in Cleveland, Ohio. He won the state championship in the long jump event in 1933.

In 1935, Owens competed in the Big Ten Championships, where he set three world records and tied a fourth. His performance earned him the nickname “The Buckeye Bullet”. He also won four individual NCAA championships, setting three world records and tying another. His amazing performance earned him an invitation to the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.

At the 1936 Olympics, Owens won four gold medals, setting three world records and tying a fourth. He won the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and 4x100 meter relay. His victories were a huge embarrassment to Adolf Hitler, who was hoping to demonstrate the superiority of the Aryan race. Owens’ performance also earned him the nickname “The Fastest Man Alive”.

After the Olympics, Owens returned to the United States to a hero’s welcome. He was awarded the highest civilian award in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He went on to become a successful track coach and businessman. Owens also spoke out against racism and segregation and was an advocate for African-American athletes.

Owens died of lung cancer on March 31, 1980. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1990. To this day, Owens is remembered as one of the greatest athletes of all time and an inspiration to many people around the world.