Question 1

True or false: Owens’s real first name was James, not Jesse.

Accepted Answer

True. Born James Cleveland Owens, his nickname 'Jesse' came from a teacher mishearing his Southern accent saying 'J.C.'

Question 2

True or false: Jesse Owens was snubbed by Adolf Hitler after winning four gold medals in 1936.

Accepted Answer

False. Hitler did not snub Owens; he left the stadium early due to rain. Owens later said Hitler did wave at him.

Question 3

True or false: Owens set three world records and tied a fourth in just 45 minutes at a 1935 college meet.

Accepted Answer

True. At the Big Ten championships on May 25, 1935, Owens achieved this incredible feat despite a bad back.

Question 4

True or false: Jesse Owens was the first Black American to win an Olympic gold medal.

Accepted Answer

False. John Taylor won gold in 1908, and many other Black athletes preceded Owens in 1924 and 1932.

Question 5

True or false: Jesse Owens was stripped of his amateur status for appearing in a commercial.

Accepted Answer

False. Owens lost his amateur status in 1936 for refusing to tour with the U.S. team, not for a commercial.

Question 6

True or false: Owens was a heavy smoker who died of lung cancer at age 66.

Accepted Answer

True. Owens smoked up to a pack a day and died from lung cancer in 1980, a fact often overlooked.

Question 7

True or false: President Franklin D. Roosevelt invited Owens to the White House after the 1936 Olympics.

Accepted Answer

False. Roosevelt never invited Owens, nor sent a telegram. Owens later said, 'The snub was worse than Hitler's.'

Question 8

True or false: Jesse Owens once raced against a horse and won.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1936, Owens raced a thoroughbred named Julio McCaw in an exhibition and won by 10 yards.

Jesse Owens Trivia Questions