Jesse Owens
The Fastest Man Alive
Intro
Why is Jesse Owens so important? Because he was the first African American to win events in the olympics. He was the hero of the 1936 Berlin Olympics and changed the way people thought about black people.
Early Life
Jesse Owens was born in Oakville, Alabama September 12, 1913. Jesse Owens had education. On the first day of school, the teacher asked him his named, and he said “J.C.” That stood for James Cleveland Owens.She thought that he said “Jesse”. So, from then on he went by Jesse Owens. In 1927, Jesse entered high school and there he met Charles Riley, a gym teacher and coach for track. When Riley saw Jesse run Riley asked him to join the track team. So, Jesse worked afternoons and met his coach every morning. Jesse really like to run, so Riley taught Jesse to run like the ground was on fire. Jesse’s legs were know as his lucky legs. So, one day a newspaper reporter saw Jesse run , he was so fast he wrote a column about Owens.
Adult Life
Jesse went to college but did not graduate. A Few years later, Jesse married Minnie Ruth Solomon in 1935. They had three children, Gloria, Marlene and Beverly and the five of them lived in Cleveland. Plus, Jesse trained most of the time to make the Olympics. A day in 1936 he made it to the Olympics in Berlin, Germany. This shows kids like me to never give up on your dream. It is never too late or never too early.
Major Accomplishments
Jesse Owens has many accomplishments in his life. One of them are that he won four gold medals at 1936 Berlin Olympics. He also set three world records. Owens got 10.3 seconds for a 100 meter run, and 20.7 for a 200 meter run . He had 26 5/16 inches for a long jump. Mr. Owens was the first African American person to win the olympics. The reason why it is such a big deal, is that he won when Hitler was the president. Hitler was very cruel and selfish man he did not like Jewish people or African Americans to compete in the olympics or win the olympics. So when Jesse Owens won Hitler wasn't happy to give Jesse the 1st place medal. Jesse changed the world by making people think differently about black people.
Conculsion
A little more than 36 years later, Jesse Owens died. He died March 31, 1980 in Tucson Arizona. Mr. Owens died because of lung Cancer. The reason are because he smoked a pack of Cigarettes a day for 36 years. The doctors said that the cancer was inoperable. He lapsed into a coma on a Saturday night and died at 3:40 A.M., Tucson time. He died at the age of 66. When James Cleveland Owens died, his wife and other family members were right by his side. These are the reasons why Jesse Owens really is a Olympic Star.