1. 1936: Jesse Owens wins the gold medal for long jump
Photo: parade
Photo: railbirds
It was on this date in 1936 that the American athlete, Jesse Owens, won his second of four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics. Owens emerged victorious in the long jump event with a leap of 26 feet 5 inches. He credited the win to the technical training he received from the German born competitor, Lutz Long, whom he defeated to win the gold. Owens had a dominating performance at the Berlin games picking up gold in the 100m sprint, 200m sprint, 4x100m relay and of course the long jump. The medals were even more significant because Owens is an AfricanAmerican, and with the games being held in Berlin, Germany, led by Fuhrer Adolf Hitler. It was Hitler’s belief that the Aryan “Master Race” was far superior than any other that made Owens wins that much sweeter.
