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Jim Thorpe

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Portrait of Jim Thorpe, the famous athlete and Native American advocate, from an early 1900s photograph.

Jim Thorpe was a wonderful athlete from a long time ago. He was born in a place now called Oklahoma and was part of the Sac and Fox Nation. His special name was Wa-Tho-Huk, which means “Bright path the lightning makes as it goes across the sky.”

Thorpe grew up learning about his culture. He went to school in Pennsylvania and became very good at many sports, like football and running.

In the 1912 Summer Olympics in Sweden, Thorpe won two gold medals. He won in the pentathlon and the decathlon. He was very strong and could do many things very well.

Later, Thorpe played many sports for money, like baseball, football, and basketball. He even helped start the National Football League.

Today, Thorpe is remembered as one of the greatest athletes ever. A town in Pennsylvania was named after him to honor him.

Images

Historical photo of famous athlete Jim Thorpe playing football in the early 1900s
Jim Thorpe, a famous Native American athlete, playing baseball for the New York Giants.
Portrait of athlete Jim Thorpe taken in 1912
Jim Thorpe, a famous athlete, competing in the 1912 Summer Olympics.
A vintage 1933 football card featuring Jim Thorpe, one of America's greatest athletes.
Statue of Jim Thorpe, a famous Native American athlete, shown in a respectful memorial setting.
Portrait of Jim Thorpe, a famous athlete, taken in 1909.
A historical portrait of Jim Thorpe, a famous athlete and advocate for Native American rights.
Design of the reverse side of the 2018 Native American Dollar Coin.

Related articles

Oklahoma
Sweden
Baseball
Basketball
National Football League

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Jim Thorpe, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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