James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens was born on September 12, 1913, in Danville, Alabama. He was the first black athlete to win four gold medals in one Olympiad. In the 1936 games in Berlin, Owens tied the world record in the 100- meter dash, set Olympic records in the broad jump and the 200- meter dash, and along with his teammates, won a gold medal in the 440- meter relay. Later in his life, after track and field, Owens recieved the highest honor any civilian can recieve. The Medal of Freedom was awarded to him by then President Gerald Ford in 1976. He died on March 31, 1980.