Jesse Owens

Jesse Owens Running (World Book Kids Online)

Jesse Owens was born in September 12, 1913. He died in 1980. He lived in Oakville Alabama. His real name was James Cleveland Owens. When he was born his father worked as a sharecropper. His family didn't think that he was going to live long because he was very skinny and sick.

He was very poor and very sick but in 1921 the family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. His health improved when he moved to Cleveland. Jesse went to school where he learned to read and write. Jesse also made a lot of friends. When he was in junior high, he was the fastest runner of all the students in junior high. He went to Ohio State University.

Winning Four Gold Metels (www.congressionalgoldmedal.com)

Jesse Owens was famous because he was the world's fastest human. He won the hundred yard dash in 9.4 seconds. Jesse Owens won four gold medals in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Jesse Owens set seven world records.

After the Olympics, Jesse Owens helped teenagers work in the community. He believed that athletics helped people.

I like this person because he was the fastest runner in the world!