A Picture Book of Jesse Owens

Before Usain Bolt or Tyson Gay, Bob Beamon or Carl Lewis, Jesse Owens was perhaps the greatest and most famous athlete in track and field history.

Jesse Owens was born on a farm to a large family with many siblings. His grandparents had been slaves, and his sharecropper parents were poor. But against all odds, Jesse went on to become one of the greatest athletes in history. He learned to run with such grace that people said he was a "floating wonder."

After setting multiple world records as a college athlete, including three in less than an hour—"the greatest 45 minutes in sport"—Owens competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. He became the first American track-and-field athlete to receive four Olympic gold medals and established his legacy as a hero in the face of prejudice.