After decades of advocacy and pressure, the IOC reversed its decision to strip Thorpe of two gold medals from 1912. Today we will discuss about Jim Thorpe: Timeline| What was famous for| Childhood| Shoes
Jim Thorpe: Timeline| What was famous for| Childhood| Shoes
James Francis Thorpe (Sack & Fox (Sock): wa-tho-hook, translated as “Bright Path”; May 22 or 28, 1887 – March 28, 1953) an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sack and Fox Nation, Thorpe was the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States at the Olympics. Considered one of the most versatile athletes of modern sports, he won two Olympic gold medals at the 1912 Summer Olympics (one in the classic pentathlon and the other in the decathlon). He also played American football (collegiate and professional), professional baseball, and basketball.
| No. 2, 21, 3 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Running back |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 22 or 28, 1887 Near Prague, Indian Territory (in modern Oklahoma, United States) |
| Died: | March 28, 1953 (aged 65) Lomita, California, United States |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 202 lb (92 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | Carlisle (1907–1908, 1911–1912) |
Timeline
1888Born May 28 near Prague, Oklahoma; mother names him Wa-thohuck, Sauk and Fox for “Bright Path”1896Twin brother, Charles, dies1898Is enrolled in Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kansas1901Mother dies of blood poisoning1904Enrolls in Carlisle Indian Industrial School, Carlisle, Pennsylvania1904Father dies of blood poisoning1907Joins the Carlisle varsity track and football teams1909-10Takes time away from Carlisle to go back to Oklahoma; plays minor-league baseball at Rocky Mount and Fayetteville, North Carolina1911Reenrolls at Carlisle; is named first-team All-American by Walter Camp for season with Carlisle Indians football team1912Wins gold medals in the pentathlon and decathlon at Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden1912Named first-team All-American in football for second consecutive year1913Stripped of Olympic titles when news story breaks that he played baseball for pay in 1909-1910; gives back Olympic gold medals1913Leaves Carlisle and signs three-year contract with New York Giants pro baseball team1913Marries Carlisle sweetheart, Iva Miller; they will have a son and three daughters1916-20Plays halfback and serves as head coach for Canton Bulldogs pro football career ends1918Son James, Jr., dies at age 3 after a sudden illness1919Leaves New York Giants baseball team after run-in with manager John McGraw1920American Professional Football Association is formed; Thorpe is Named Greatest Football Player of the Half-Century and Greatest
What was famous for
Jim Thorpe, the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal for America, won the pentathlon and decathlon at the Stockholm 1912 Olympic Games. He later played pro baseball and football thus, he became famous.
Shoes
When someone stole his shoes…
So when someone stole her shoes just before she was ready to compete in the Olympics, it probably wasn’t a big deal to Jim. He just put on two more shoes that someone had thrown in the dustbin. However, they were different sizes, so they had to wear extra socks on one leg to take them out.
He won two gold medals, but that only touches the surface of the work he did in those games. He won gold in the (now defunct) pentathlon, winning four of the five events (long jump, discus throw, sprint and wrestling). One event he didn’t win was the spear. He never competed in that event for the Olympics. He ranked third in the world.
