Early Life
Jesse Owens was born September, 12 1913 in Oakville, Alabama. At age 9 the family moved to the Granville section of Cleveland, Ohio. His early life was marked by poverty and he was forced to take on many menial jobs such as delivering goods and working in a shoe repair shops. However, he was able to develop his passion for running and athletics from an early age because he loved to run. His parents thought that he was identified as having great potential talent.