Describing Jim Thorpe as a great athlete would be doing him a severe injustice. A better description would be calling him the greatest athlete of the 20th Century. This label will probably be debated by many, but Jim Thorpe's accomplishments speak louder than words. King Gustav V of Sweden told Jim Thorpe: "Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world."
James Francis Thorpe was born on May 28, 1887 in a one-room cabin in Oklahoma. Although there is much confusion on Jim Thorpe's date of birth, this is the date according to his estate. His very existence was an excellent representation of the melting pot that was America. Jim Thorpe had some French and Irish blood but he was of mostly Sac and Fox Indian heritage. His Indian name, Wa-Tho-Huk, translated to "Bright Path", something that Jim Thorpe definitely had ahead of him.
