Biography:Of Native American and European ancestry Jim Thorpe is considered one of the most versatile athletes of the 20th Century.
He won Gold at the 1912 Olympics (Pentathlon and Decathlon) before being stripped of his medals for receiving payment as a professional. These medals were reinstated in 1983.
He went on to play professional baseball including for the NY Giants, football and basketball.
Born:May 28, 1887 Birthplace:Prague, Oklahoma, USA
1913-10-14 Athlete Jim Thorpe (25) weds Margaret Iva Miller at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
1945-06-02 Athlete Jim Thorpe (57) weds Patricia Askew
Historical Events
1909-06-16 Jim Thorpe makes his pro baseball pitching debut for Rocky Mount (ECL) with 4-2 win, this will cause him to forfeit his Olympic gold medals
1912-07-07 American athlete Jim Thorpe wins 4 of 5 events to win the Pentathlon gold medal at the Stockholm Olympics, medal stripped 1913 (played pro baseball), reinstated 1982
1912-07-15 American athlete Jim Thorpe is placed in top 4 in all 10 events, for an Olympic record 8,413 points to win the Decathlon gold medal at the Stockholm Olympics, medal stripped 1913 (played pro baseball), reinstated 1982
1912-08-24 Ticker-tape parade held in NYC for Jim Thorpe and victorious US Olympians
1913-01-26 Jim Thorpe relinquishes his 1912 Olympic medals for playing 2 seasons of semi-professional baseball before competing in the Olympics
1913-02-01 American all-round athlete Jim Thorpe signs to play baseball with the NY Giants; unlike his other sporting endeavours the Olympic-medal winner's career in MLB was uninspiring (1913-19)
1920-08-20 American Professional Football Association forms; Jim Thorpe installed as president; later to become the National Football League (NFL)
1973-10-20 US President Nixon proclaims Jim Thorpe to have been the greatest athlete of the 1st half of the 20th century
1982-10-13 IOC Executive Committee approves the reinstatement of Jim Thorpe's gold medals from the 1912 Olympics
1983-01-18 IOC restores Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals (Pentathlon & Decathlon victories) 70 years after they were taken from him for being paid $25 in semi-pro baseball
Al Oerter
Carl Lewis
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Marion Jones
Ralph Boston
Rick Hansen