Americans Win First Olympic Basketball Competition. Basketball made its debut as an Olympic sport at the 1936 Games in Berlin. On August 14, 1936, the U.S. won the Gold Medal, defeating Canada 19-8. The championship game was played outdoors in similar fashion to all the other basketball games of the Berlin Olympics. The "Master Olympic Planners" hadn't gotten the memo that … [Read more...] about U.S. Olympic Basketball Team Wins Gold in Berlin – August 14, 1936
1936 olympics
Jesse Owens Wins 4th Gold at Berlin August 9, 1936
Jesse Owens won his fourth gold medal at the 1936 Olympics on August 9, 1936. He ran the first leg for the U.S. team in the 4x100 meter relay. Prior to his participation on the relay team, Owens was already "the big story" of the 1936 Olympics (at least among the athletes), having won the the long jump, as well as the 100 and 200 meter individual sprints. As if … [Read more...] about Jesse Owens Wins 4th Gold at Berlin August 9, 1936
1936 Olympics Open, Nazis Rule August 1, 1936
Nazi Germany hosted the 1936 Olympics. On August 1 of that year, Adolph Hitler welcomed the world to Berlin for two weeks of fun, and nothing but fun, with just a little bit of political propaganda thrown in. In 2011 on the 75th anniversary of the Berlin Olympics, Frank Deford wrote in Sports Illustrated: While, of course, nothing can approach the horror of the … [Read more...] about 1936 Olympics Open, Nazis Rule August 1, 1936