In this Aug. 5, 1936 file photo, American athlete Jesse Owens practices in the Olympic Village in Berlin. Shortly after Jesse Owens returned home from his snubbing by Adolph Hitler at the 1936 Olympics, he and America's 17 other black Olympians found a less-than-welcoming reception from their own government, as well. (AP Photo/File)
Hitler had hoped to turn the 1936 Olympics into a showcase of Aryan supremacy. Those plans were foiled when Jess Owens became the first American to win four gold medals in track and field.
After the first day of the games, rather than congratulate Owens, Hitler decided not to publicly congratulate any winners.
Sources: biography.com, time.com and Arizona Daily Star archives
