Jesse Owens Quiz

1. Which country did Jesse Owens represent?

1. Canada
2. Great Britain
3. Jamaica
4. United States

2. How many gold medals did Owens win at the 1936 Berlin Olympics?

1. 2
2. 3
3. 4
4. 5

3. Owens's 1936 triumphs famously undermined the ideology of which regime?

1. Fascist Italy
2. Imperial Japan
3. Nazi Germany
4. The Soviet Union

4. In which events did Owens win his four golds?

1. 100m, 200m, long jump, 4x100m relay
2. 100m, 400m, high jump, relay
3. 200m, 800m, long jump, javelin
4. Sprints and hurdles only

5. The 1936 Olympics, where Owens starred, were hosted in which city?

1. Berlin
2. Cologne
3. Hamburg
4. Munich

6. Owens was an African American who faced significant what, even after his triumphs?

1. Financial windfalls
2. Injury problems
3. Political power
4. Racial discrimination

7. Owens is regarded as one of the greatest athletes in the history of which sport?

1. Basketball
2. Boxing
3. Swimming
4. Track and field

8. Owens set multiple world records in a single day at a 1935 college meet. How many?

1. Five
2. One
3. Seven
4. Three (and tied a fourth)

9. Which German long jumper reportedly showed sportsmanship toward Owens in 1936?

1. Carl Ludwig
2. Hans Braun
3. Luz Long
4. Rudolf Harbig

10. Owens's four golds matched a feat later equalled by which American in 1984?

1. Bob Hayes
2. Carl Lewis
3. Jesse Ventura
4. Michael Johnson

11. Owens attended which university, where he became a star athlete?

1. Alabama
2. Michigan
3. Ohio State
4. USC

12. Owens's story is a landmark in the history of which broader struggle?

1. Civil rights
2. Environmentalism
3. Labour rights
4. Space exploration

13. Owens competed in the Olympics during which decade?

1. The 1920s
2. The 1930s
3. The 1940s
4. The 1950s

14. Owens was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976 and, after his death, which honour?

1. An Academy Award
2. The Congressional Gold Medal
3. The Nobel Prize
4. The Victoria Cross

15. Owens's dominant events combined sprinting with which field event?

1. The javelin
2. The long jump
3. The pole vault
4. The shot put

16. Owens's 1936 performances took place in front of which infamous leader?

1. Adolf Hitler
2. Benito Mussolini
3. Emperor Hirohito
4. Joseph Stalin

17. Owens's legacy is honoured with an annual award for the best US what?

1. Basketball player
2. Boxer
3. Swimmer
4. Track and field athlete

18. Owens's four golds made him the most successful athlete at which Games?

1. The 1928 Amsterdam Olympics
2. The 1932 Los Angeles Olympics
3. The 1936 Berlin Olympics
4. The 1948 London Olympics

19. Owens's achievements are considered among the most significant in what sense?

1. Only long-jump records
2. Only relay records
3. Only sporting statistics
4. Sporting and social history

20. Owens remains an enduring symbol of triumph over what?

1. Bad weather
2. Injury
3. Poverty only
4. Prejudice