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This Day in History: Remembering Jesse Owens on What Would Have Been His 111th Birthday

Clay Cane
September 13, 2024

In this Aug. 3, 1936, file photo, gold medalist Jessie Owens, second right, salutes during the playing of the national anthem during the medal ceremony of the 100-meter final in Berlin. silver medalist Tinus Osendarp, third from right, of, Holland, and bronze medalist Ralph Metcalf, right, listen, along with a matron who holds a Nazi salute. The 1936 Games in Berlin, awarded about two years before Adolf Hitler became dictator, went ahead under Nazism. American track great Jesse Owens went on to win four gold medals, but he was only supposed to compete in three events, the 100 meters, 200 meters and long jump. (AP Photo/File)

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This week would have marked Jesse Owens’ 111th birthday. Born on Sept. 12, 1913, Owens was an American track and field athlete who became a symbol of triumph over adversity. Raised in Alabama and later Ohio, Owens’ talent for running and jumping was evident from a young age.

American athlete Jesse Owens practices in the Olympic Village, in Berlin, Germany, Aug. 5, 1936. (AP Photo)

He gained international fame at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he won four gold medals, defying Nazi racial ideology. Despite facing racial discrimination in the U.S., Owens’ legacy endures as a champion of both sport and equality.

American track and field athlete Jesse Owens winks as he poses in the Olympic village with his Olympic oak plants after winning the gold medals in the 100-meter dash and the running broad jump at the XI Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany, on Aug. 4, 1936. Owens is wearing the victory wreath around his head. (AP Photo)

He passed away in 1980, leaving behind an indelible mark on history.

Broadway was a ìsnowstormî canyon as proud Manhattanites feted returned U.S. Olympic stars with a fleecy ticker tape parade in New York on Sept. 3, 1936. The fellow with the broad grin in the foreground is Jesse Owens, who won three gold medals and helped other athletes win another for the U.S. (AP Photo)

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Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC. Twitter: @claycane