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In 1936, I ran the 5,000-meter dash in the Olympic Games held in Berlin, Germany. This was an incredible expericence for me and I came in 8th place. I had been set on running in the next Games, set for Tokyo in 1940. These Olympics were canceled; however, because World War II began. While pleased with my performance, I left Berlin striving for a better outcome the next time around and more motivated than ever. I had the privilege of watching two of my idols, Glenn Cunningham and Jesse Owens. This website has information about these specific Olympics and others that took place before and after the 1936 Games.

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Jesse Owens

The Berlin Games are best remembered for Adolf Hitler's failed attempt to use them to prove his theories of Aryan racial superiority. As it turned out, the most popular hero of the Games was the African-American sprinter and long jumper Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and long jump.

Television Coverage

The 1936 Games were the first to be broadcast on television. Twenty-five television viewing rooms were set up in the Greater Berlin area, allowing the locals to follow the Games free of charge.

Young Olympians

Thirteen-year-old Marjorie Gestring of the U.S. won the gold medal in springboard diving. She remains the youngest female gold medallist in the history of the Summer Olympic Games. Twelve-year-old Inge Sorensen of Denmark earned a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke, making her the youngest medallist ever in an individual event.

Debuts and Firsts

Basketball, canoeing and field handball all made their first appearances.

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Berlin 1936 Summer Olympics - Athletes, Medals & Results

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Relive the moments that went down in history at the 1936 summer Olympics in Berlin. Access official videos, results, galleries, sport and athletes.

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I was drafted into the United States military in 1941, specifically the Air Force. Ever since I was a child, I have been afraid of airplanes and heights so I was not looking forward to this. I immediately began training to become a bombardier in Houston, Texas. A few months later, in 1942, I was sent to be stationed in Hawaii. Right away I became fast friends with my soon-to-be pilot, Russel Allen Phillips, or Phil for short. We started practicing flights and dropping bombs in the Pacific Ocean. Our plane was called "The Superman". This picture below shows Phil ready for take-off in our newly painted bomber plane.

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I have always had a strong bond with my older brother, Pete. He was always the "golden child" growing up and I was usually known for causing trouble. As we got older; however, we pushed each other and really thrived off of one another's praise and help. As I was getting ready to go to college, I was offered many scholarships. Pete encouraged me to come to USC, where he went to college. I decided to go and attended the University of Southern California on a full scholarship for track. Pete was already at USC so he helped train me for the 1936 Olympics. Without his help and dedication, I probably would not have made the Olympic Team, let alone come in 8th place in the event.

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This is a picture of my family in 1941 at our house in Torrance, California. It was taken when I was about to be sent off to fight in World War II. Rear, left to right: my sister Sylvia's future husband, Harvey Flammer; my sister, Virginia; my sister, Sylvia; and my father, Anthony Zamperini. Front: my older brother, Pete; my mother, Louise; and me. My family supported me throughout my entire running career and was estatic when I returned from the war. They helped me return to my life after World War II and I was welcomed home with open arms from my entire family.

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Today in San Francisco, California, a woman named Lynn Moody discovered an important radio broadcast coming in from Tokyo. After listening for a few minutes, Moody realized that the famous olympic runner, Louie Zamperini was the one speaking in this short program. Postman Calls is a radio program used to transfer messages from foreign countries to the United States. Since most Prisoners of War are not permitted to send letter to their families, this is huge for the Zamperini family to here their son's voice and to have confirmation that he is alive. Zamperini is talking directly to his family, letting them know that he had survived and was being held captive in Japan. He mentions other soldiers, now Prisoners of War, that he knows are still alive. These families will sleep better knowing that there is a chance their sons will come home when the war ends.

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My name is Louie Zamperini and I am best known for surviving a plane crash and being stranded in the Pacific Ocean for 47 days with little food and water. I was also captured, held hostage, and tortured by the Japanese in several Prisoner of War camps for over a year and a half. When I returned to the United States, I became a symbol of hope for many Americans. Before entering the war, I ran in the 1936 Olympics, finishing in eighth place. In this picture, I was carrying the torch at the 1984 Olympics held in Los Angeles. I think I represented America well while holding the torch in these Games.