Jesse Owens: When the World Needed a Hero, He Grabbed the Gold…
While still in high school, Jesse Owens tied the world record for the 100-yard dash. Two years later, at a college track meet, he set three world records and tied another world record in less than an hour. That amazing feat, which has never been equaled — and probably never will be — has been called “the greatest 45 minutes in sports.”
In 1936, Jesse Owens went to Germany to compete in the Summer Olympics. In those years, Germany was led by a very bad man named Adolph Hitler. Hitler proclaimed to the world that Germans were the “master race,” and that they were superior in every way. But, Jesse Owens proved Hitler wrong by defeating the German athletes — and all the other athletes, too — while winning four Gold Medals.
Jesse Owens’ four-gold-medal performance at the Berlin Olympics proved once and for all that world-class talent is never restricted to a single country or to one particular ethnic group. Greatness is colorblind. Always has been. Always will be.
Quotes by Olympic Gold Medalists
“Find the good. It’s all around you. Find it, showcase it, and you’ll start believing in it.”
Jesse Owens, Track and Field
“It doesn’t matter what you are trying to accomplish. It’s all a matter of discipline.”
Wilma Rudolph, Track and Field
“Inside of a ring or out, ain’t nothing wrong with going down. It’s staying down that’s wrong.”
Muhammad Ali, Boxing
“Failure I can live with. It’s not trying that I can’t handle.”
Sanya Richards-Ross, Track and Field
“Don’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the further you get.”
Michael Phelps, Swimming
About Ohio
It’s a Fact: Jesse Owens and his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio when Jesse was nine. Jesse went to school in Cleveland and attended The Ohio State University in Columbus.
It’s a Fact: Ohio is nicknamed “The Mother of Presidents” because 7 presidents were born there and another U.S. president, William Henry Harrison, was living there when he was elected.
It’s a Fact: The capital of Ohio is Columbus. In addition to Columbus, other largescities in the state are Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Dayton.
It’s a Fact: The abbreviation for Ohio is OH.
It’s a Fact: Dayton, Ohio is considered the birthplace of air travel because the Wright Brothers invented the first working airplane in their bicycle shop, which was located there.
Fun Fact: The American Civil War was fought during the years 1861 to 1865. The U.S. president during that time was Abraham Lincoln.
Fun Fact: The biggest river in the world is the Amazon in South America. The longest river in the world is the Nile in Africa. The biggest river in North America is the Mississippi.
Fun Fact: In North America, the country with the largest land mass is Canada, but the United States is the North American country with the most people. In fact, America has about 10 times more people than Canada.
Fun Fact: If the Earth were the size of a tennis ball, the Sun would be a huge ball 24 feet across, and it would be half a mile away.
Fun Fact: The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world. The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest. Taken together, the Atlantic and the Pacific cover over half the earth’s surface.
Just for fun,
In the 1936 Olympics, did Jesse Owens win 2 gold medals, 3 gold medals, or 4 gold medals?
Which river is longer? Is it the Nile River in Africa or the Mississippi River in the United States?
Is the capital of Ohio Cleveland, Cincinnati, or Columbus?
Was the American Civil War fought during the years 1761 - 1765, or 1861 - 1865, or 1961 - 1965?
If you have time, you can write a story of your own.
Here are some story ideas you might want to use.
Idea #1: You can write about the life, and the amazing accomplishments, of Jesse Owens.
or
Idea #2: You can write about what if would be like to compete in the Olympic Games. What sport would you whoose? How would you feel if you won a gold medal?
To help you write a great story, we have some helpful hints and timely tips.
Check out “10 Tips for Writing Better Essays.”
Here's a riddle for you:
Which state is round at both ends and high in the middle?
For fun-to-read books about a girl detective who homeschools on a train... check out The Mystery Ryders, a series from the creators of the Homeschool Express.
