Jesse Owens

1913 – 1980 · died at about 67^[1][2]

Sports

Fun Facts About Jesse Owens

• Jesse Owens got his name by accident: when a Cleveland teacher asked his name, he said "J. C.," but because of his strong Southern accent she heard "Jesse."^[1]
• In 45 minutes at the 1935 Big Ten Championships, Owens set five world records and tied a sixth, despite a lower back injury.^[1]
• Adidas founder Adi Dassler persuaded Owens to wear his shoes at the 1936 Olympics, the first sponsorship for a male African American athlete.^[1]
• Owens first credited his 1936 long jump gold to advice from German rival Luz Long, but later admitted this was not true: the two did not meet until after the competition.^[1]
• After his Olympic triumph, Owens was not allowed through the main doors of the Waldorf Astoria and rode a freight elevator to his own reception. President Franklin D. Roosevelt never invited him to the White House.^[1][3][4]
• To make a living after the Olympics, Owens raced against horses. His trick was to race a high-strung Thoroughbred that the starter's shotgun would frighten into a bad start.^[1]
• Jesse Owens was alive at the same time as Volodymyr Zelenskyy — their lives overlapped for 2 years (1978–1980).^[1][2][5][6]
• Jesse Owens and Isaac Newton died on the same day of the year, March 31.^[1][2][7][8]

James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was an American track and field athlete who made history at the 1936 Olympic Games by winning four gold medals, setting Olympic records in each event. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes in track and field history.^[1]

Contemporaries

Georgia O'Keeffe

67 yr overlap

Jorge Luis Borges

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Alfred Hitchcock

67 yr overlap

Hirohito

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Bob Hope

67 yr overlap

Salvador Dalí

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Jean-Paul Sartre

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Simone de Beauvoir

67 yr overlap

Dorothy Hodgkin

67 yr overlap

Mother Teresa

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Akira Kurosawa

67 yr overlap

Jacques Cousteau

67 yr overlap

Their World

Questions About Jesse Owens

When was Jesse Owens born?

Jesse Owens was born on September 12, 1913, and died on March 31, 1980.

How old was Jesse Owens at death?

Jesse Owens was born on September 12, 1913, and died on March 31, 1980, at age 66.

What was Jesse Owens known for?

Jesse Owens was known for: 4 gold medals at 1936 Berlin Olympics. James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was an American track and field athlete who made history at the 1936 Olympic Games by winning four gold medals, setting Olympic records in each event. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes in track and field history.

Who was alive at the same time as Jesse Owens?

Jesse Owens's closest contemporary was Georgia O'Keeffe. Their lives overlapped for 67 years.