On This Day

IOC restores Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals for his pentathlon and decathlon victories, 70 years after they were stripped f

IOC restores Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals for his pentathlon and decathlon victories, 70 years after they were stripped from him for accepting $25 to play semi-pro baseball

James Francis Thorpe (Meskwaki: Wa-Tho-Huk; May 22 or 28, 1887 – March 28, 1953) was an American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and played professional football, baseball, and basketball. A citizen of the Sac and Fox Nation, he was the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States in the Olympics. Considered one of the most versatile athletes of modern sports, Thorpe won two Olympic gold medals in the 1912 Summer Olympics (one in classic pentathlon and the other in decathlon).

Thorpe lost his Olympic titles after it was found he had been paid for playing two seasons of semi-professional baseball before competing in the Olympics, thus violating the contemporary amateurism rules.

Historical Significance

James Francis Thorpe (Meskwaki: Wa-Tho-Huk; May 22 or 28, 1887 – March 28, 1953) was an American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and played professional football, baseball, and basketball.

Key People

Jim Thorpe

athlete

American athlete

Events Before

  1. The "Epic in Miami," played in 85°F heat, sees the San Diego Chargers defeat the Miami Dolphins 41-38 in overtime in the

    The "Epic in Miami," played in 85°F heat, sees the San Diego Chargers defeat the Miami Dolphins 41-38 in overtime in the AFC Divisional Playoff, setting numerous playoff scoring records

  2. Paul Belmondo dies

    Paul Belmondo dies

  3. "Thirtysomething" stars Ken Olin and Patricia Wettig meet; they later marry

    "Thirtysomething" stars Ken Olin and Patricia Wettig meet; they later marry

  4. American singer Barbra Streisand and hairdresser/film producer Jon Peters' romantic relationship ends

    Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director.

  5. NFC Championship, Candlestick Park, SF: San Francisco 49ers defeat Dallas Cowboys 28-27; "The Catch," an iconic moment i

    NFC Championship, Candlestick Park, SF: San Francisco 49ers defeat Dallas Cowboys 28-27; "The Catch," an iconic moment in NFL history, Dwight Clark makes a fingertip touchdown catch from Joe Montana with 58 seconds remaining; SF goes on to win the Super Bowl

Events After

  1. AT&T's 22 owned Bell System companies divest into seven independent companies

    The Bell System was a system of telecommunication companies, led by the Bell Telephone Company and later by AT&T, that dominated the telephone services industry in North America for over 100 years…

  2. "Night Court," starring Harry Anderson and created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege, premieres on NBC; runs for nine seas

    "Night Court," starring Harry Anderson and created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege, premieres on NBC; runs for nine seasons

  3. Supreme Court rules 5-4 that private home use of VCRs to record TV programs for later viewing does not violate federal c

    Supreme Court rules 5-4 that private home use of VCRs to record TV programs for later viewing does not violate federal copyright law

  4. Apple Computer Inc. unveils its revolutionary Macintosh personal computer in a Super Bowl TV ad directed by Ridley Scott

    Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley, best known for its consumer electronics, software and online services.

  5. Britain's Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean famously dominate ice dancing at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics, performing t

    Britain's Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean famously dominate ice dancing at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics, performing to Maurice Ravel's "Bolero" in their free dance routine and recording 9-of-9 perfect scores for artistic impression [1]

More from the 1980s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 18, 1983?
James Francis Thorpe (Meskwaki: Wa-Tho-Huk; May 22 or 28, 1887 – March 28, 1953) was an American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and played professional football, baseball, and basketball. A citizen of the Sac and Fox Nation, he was the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States in the Olympics. Considered one of the most versatile athletes of modern sports, Thorpe won two Olympic gold medals in the 1912 Summer Olympics (one in classic pentathlon and the other in decathlon).
Why is IOC restores Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals for his pentathlon and decathlon vic... significant?
James Francis Thorpe (Meskwaki: Wa-Tho-Huk; May 22 or 28, 1887 – March 28, 1953) was an American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and played professional football, baseball, and basketball.
Who was involved in IOC restores Jim Thorpe's Olympic medals for his pentathlon and decathlon vic...?
Key figures include Jim Thorpe (athlete).

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