James "Jesse" Owens

Today, Muhammad Ali is one of the most celebrated athletes and activists in history, but he was not always so appreciated. In 1969, Ali was stripped of his fighting license and his title after being convicted of draft evasion. A year later, he would return to the ring, and contin ...  Show more

In July 1981, Princess Diana became the first non-royal to marry into the British Royal family in centuries. As the Princess of Wales, she became a style icon and a humanitarian force, all while contending with the very public infidelity of her husband, Charles, heir apparent to ...  Show more

August 1, 1936. The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Adolf Hitler enters the stadium to a militaristic Wagner march. Swastikas flutter everywhere on the flag of the Nazi Party. When these moments are remembered later, one athlete’s name comes up more than any other: Jesse O ...  Show more

This 2012 episode covers the 1936 Berlin Olympics and African-American sprinter Jesse Owens, as well as the games as Nazi propaganda. More nations than ever participated, and the Olympic torch was used for the first time. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodc ...  Show more

The most famous athlete in 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany was the American sprinter Jesse Owens, and one of the most famous stories from those Games was the unexpected, heartwarming encounter Owens had with the German long jumper Luz Long. The friendship between the two athletes w ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, the story of United States Olympic legend Jesse Owens' and Nazi long jumper Luz Long’s friendship demonstrates how sports can unite people even in the toughest circumstances. Here to tell the story is the Jack Miller Center’s editorial off ...  Show more