Jesse Owens was an American track and field athlete that attended The Ohio State University. Owens broke three world records and tied another in a span of 45 minutes at the Big Ten championship meet. (according to this ESPN article)

In 1936, the Nazis hosted The Olympics in 1936, in Berlin, Germany. Owens’ historical performance was a complete refutation of Hitler’s Aryan race theory. In that stadium, he won four gold medals at a single Olympics, becoming the first American to ever do so in track and field. In 1976, Owens was awarded a Medal of Freedom from President Jimmy Carter.

(The picture included shows Jesse Owens running the 200m dash during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany.)

“When I came back to my native country, after all the stories about Hitler, I couldn’t ride in the front of the bus,” Owens said. “I had to go to the back door. I couldn’t live where I wanted. I wasn’t invited to shake hands with Hitler, but I wasn’t invited to the White House to shake hands with the President, either.” (from the same ESPN article)