Born September 12, 1913, in Oakville, Alabama was four time Olympic Gold Medalist, Jesse Owens. This legend was the first American to win four track and field gold medals at a single Olympics, a record that stood unbroken for 48 years.
In 1935, Owens set three world records and tied another in the space of 45 minutes at a meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This performance made him a national celebrity, and he was considered to be one of the favorites to win multiple gold medals at the 1936 Olympics.
At the Olympics, Owens won gold medals in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, long jump, and 4x100-meter relay. His victories were a major upset for the Nazi regime, which was using the Olympics to promote its ideology of Aryan supremacy.