ATHLETE

Louis Zamperini

1917 - 2014

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Louis Silvie Zamperini (January 26, 1917 – July 2, 2014) was an American World War II veteran, an Olympic distance runner and a Christian evangelist. He took up running in high school and qualified for the United States in the 5,000 m race for the 1936 Berlin Olympics, finishing 8th while setting a new lap record in the process. Zamperini was commissioned in the United States Army Air Forces as a lieutenant. He served as a bombardier on B-24 Liberators in the Pacific. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Louis Zamperini is the 20th most popular athlete (up from 48th in 2019), the 1,587th most popular biography from United States (up from 1,898th in 2019) and the 6th most popular American Athlete.

Louis Zamperini was a world-class distance runner who was a member of the 1936 US Olympic team. He served in World War II as a bombardier and survived a plane crash in the Pacific Ocean. He was taken prisoner by the Japanese and tortured for two years.

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Among ATHLETES

Among athletes, Louis Zamperini ranks 20 out of 6,025. Before him are John Flanagan, Ben Johnson, Carl Lewis, Iolanda Balaș, Usain Bolt, and Robert Hichens. After him are Thomas Curtis, Charley Paddock, Dick Fosbury, Hannes Kolehmainen, Frank Jarvis, and Georgios Roubanis.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1917, Louis Zamperini ranks 67. Before him are Violeta Parra, Leonora Carrington, John Lee Hooker, Thelonious Monk, Juan Rulfo, and Cyrus Vance. After him are Manolete, Sidney Nolan, Dinu Lipatti, Maurice Duverger, Masahiko Kimura, and Obdulio Varela. Among people deceased in 2014, Louis Zamperini ranks 59. Before him are Ken Takakura, Udo Jürgens, Jean-Claude Duvalier, Veljko Kadijević, Gyula Grosics, and Hans Hollein. After him are Stephanie Kwolek, Dale T. Mortensen, Ernesto Laclau, Ernst Albrecht, Richard Møller Nielsen, and Rubin Carter.

Others Born in 1917

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Louis Zamperini ranks 1,587 out of 20,380. Before him are Frank Bunker Gilbreth Sr. (1868), William Friedkin (1935), Alfred G. Gilman (1941), Donna Haraway (1944), Carl Woese (1928), and Jeff Lindsay (1952). After him are Clyde Drexler (1962), Billy Bob Thornton (1955), Sissy Spacek (1949), John Cheever (1912), Alyson Hannigan (1974), and Stephanie Kwolek (1923).

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Among ATHLETES In United States

Among athletes born in United States, Louis Zamperini ranks 6. Before him are Jesse Owens (1913), Florence Griffith Joyner (1959), Thomas Burke (1875), Bob Beamon (1946), and Carl Lewis (1961). After him are Thomas Curtis (1873), Charley Paddock (1900), Dick Fosbury (1947), Frank Jarvis (1878), Mike Powell (1963), and Archie Hahn (1880).

American born Athletes

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