On May 25, 1935, Jesse Owens {1913-1980} raced his way to world-class stardom. That momentous afternoon, Owens, a student at Ohio State University, was credited with setting five track-and-field world records and tying a sixth. The following year he earned four gold medals at the Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. Owens became a popular inspirational lecturer, and President Gerald Ford awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976 for motivating "countless others to do their best for themselves and for their country."