Jim Thorpe

Jim Thorpe was born May 28, 1888 around Prague, Oklahoma. He died on March 28, 1953 in Lomita, California.

Jim was famous because he was an All-American in football. He was also a major league baseball player and football player. He won two gold medals in the 1912 Olympics.

Jim was a Native American. He grew up in the Sauk and Fox tribes. He lived on a ranch. He learned how to ride ponies at the ranch. Jim was happy because his father was the best athlete around.

Jim played college football. His team became very good because they had Jim on the team. Jim was good at a lot of things. He could kick straight and could run fast and was a really good player on defense. He became an All-American in 1911 and 1912. In 1912 he went to the Olympic Games. He was the only person to win both the decathlon and the pentathlon. Thorpe played major league baseball in 1913. He also was a star in football till 1928. In 1950 sports writers named him the best athlete of the first half of the century. Jim died March 28, 1953.

King, David. Jim Thorpe. "First Facts About American Heroes." 1996

http://www.eiu.edu/~wow/thorchild.htm