America 250: Jesse Owens

Alabama-born, Ohio-raised Jesse Owens (1913–1980) became a way and tract legend, winning 4 golden medals astatine the 1936 Berlin Olympics making him the archetypal American to bash truthful successful 1 Games.

Alabama-born and Ohio-raised, Jesse Owens (1913–1980) became 1 of the top way and tract athletes successful history. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, helium won 4 golden medals successful the 100 meters, 200 meters, agelong jump, and 4x100 relay. He was the archetypal American jock successful way and tract to triumph 4 golden medals astatine a azygous Olympic Games. His victories challenged Nazi Germany’s claims of Aryan radical superiority connected the satellite stage. In 1976, Owens received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter presented him with the Living Legend Award. After his decease successful 1980, Carter called him a awesome of “the conflict against tyranny, poverty, and radical bigotry.”