Events in Sport
- 1896-04-06 First modern Summer Olympic Games open in Athens, Greece; American athlete James Connolly becomes first modern Olympic champion when he wins triple jump (then 2 hops and a jump); later 3rd in long jump, 2nd in high jump
- 1896-04-10 High jumper Ellery Clark leads an American sweep of the placings with a leap of 1.81m at the Athens Olympics; his 2nd victory of the Games after taking out the long jump
- 1901-08-05 Peter O'Connor of Ireland, sets the first officially recognised world long jump record at 24' 11 3/4" in Dublin, Ireland
- 1921-07-23 American long jumper Edward Gourdin sets new world record of 7.69m (25 ft 2+3⁄4 in) at Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 1924-07-07 American Robert LeGendre sets then long jump world record at 25' 5½" in Paris, France
- 1925-06-13 American William DeHart Hubbard sets men's long jump world record at 7.89m (25 ft 10 3⁄4 in) in Chicago, Illinois
- 1928-07-07 American Edward Hamm sets then long jump world record at 25' 11" at Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 1928-09-09 Silvio Cator of Haiti, sets then long jump record at 26' ½"
- 1931-10-27 Chuhei Numbu of Japan, sets then long jump record at 26' 2½"
Olympic Gold
1936-08-04 American athlete Jesse Owens wins his 2nd gold medal at the Berlin Olympics; beats German Luz Long in the long jump final with an Olympic record
- 1948-08-04 Hungary's Olga Gyarmati wins the first ever Olympic women's long jump competition at the London Games
- 1956-11-27 Elżbieta Krzesińska of Poland equals world record with leap of 6.53m to win the women's long jump gold medal at the Melbourne Olympics
Sports History
1960-08-12 Ralph Boston of US, sets then long jump record at 8.21m
- 1961-05-27 Ralph Boston of US, sets then long jump record at 27' ½"
- 1961-07-16 Ralph Boston of US, sets then long jump record at 27' 2"
- 1962-06-10 Igor Ter-Ovanesyan of USSR, sets then long jump record at 27' 3½"
- 1964-08-15 American long jumper Ralph Boston sets then world record 27' 3½" (8.31m) at Kingston, Jamaica
- 1964-09-12 American long jumper Ralph Boston sets then world record 27' 4 1⁄4" (8.34m) at Los Angeles, California
- 1964-10-14 Mary Rand of Great Britain leaps a world record 6.76m to win the women's long jump gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics
- 1965-05-29 American long jumper Ralph Boston sets then world record 27' 4 3/4" (8.35m) at Modesto, California
- 1967-10-19 Igor Ter-Ovanesyan of USSR, sets then long jump record at 27' 4 3/4"
- 1968-03-15 Bob Beamon sets indoor long jump record (27'2-3/4")
- 1968-10-14 Viorica Viscopoleanu of Romania sets world record 6.82m to win the women's long jump at the Mexico City Olympics; beats Sheila Sherwood of Great Britain by 0.14m
- 1968-10-18 American long jumper Bob Beamon sets an incredible world record (8.90m, 29' 2½") in high altitude at the Mexico City Olympics; 0.55m (22") improvement over previous world record
- 1980-05-28 Joe Darby does a standing long jump of 12'5"
Sports History
1983-08-10 1st World Championships in Athletics: Carl Lewis wins gold in Men's Long Jump
- 1984-08-06 American athlete Carl Lewis wins long jump (8.54m), his second of 4 gold medals at Los Angeles Olympics
- 1986-06-21 Heike Drechsler of East Germany long jumps 7.45 m (women's record)
- 1987-09-05 2nd World Championships in Athletics: Carl Lewis wins gold in Men's Long Jump
- 1988-02-13 Heike Dreschler long jumps world record indoor (7.37m)
- 1988-06-11 Galina Chistyakova of USSR sets long jump woman's record (24"8½")
- 1988-09-25 Americans sweep the medals in the long jump at the Seoul Olympics; Carl Lewis wins his second gold of the Games with leap of 8.72m ahead of teammates Mike Powell & Larry Myricks
Olympic Gold
1988-09-29 American athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee wins her second gold medal of the Seoul Olympics by taking the long jump with an Olympic record leap of 7.40m; previously won the heptathlon
- 1991-08-30 Mike Powell of US sets then long jump record at 29' 4½" (8.95m)
- 1992-08-06 The US track team sweeps the medals in the long jump at the Barcelona Olympics as Carl Lewis wins gold (28 feet, 5 1/2 inches), Mike Powell silver and Joe Greene bronze
- 2008-08-22 Maurren Higa Maggi wins the women's long jump with a leap of 7.04m at the Beijing Olympics; Brazil's first ever gold medal in any women's individual event
- 2021-08-01 Italian Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar avoid a jump-off by agreeing to share the long jump gold medal after tying on 2.37m at the Tokyo Olympic Games
Birthdays in Sport
- 1872-10-24 Peter O'Connor, Irish athlete (1st recognised world long jump record 1901), born in Millom, England (d. 1957)
- 1888-10-30 Konstantinos Tsiklitiras, Greek athlete (Olympic gold standing long jump, bronze high jump 1912, 2 silver 1908), born in Pylos, Greece (d. 1913)
- 1893-01-20 Georg Åberg, Swedish athlete (Olympic silver triple jump; bronze long jump 1912), born in Norrköping, Sweden (d. 1946)
- 1897-08-10 Edward Gourdin, American athlete (long jump WR 7.69 m 1921; Olympic silver 1924) and jurist, born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 1966)
- 1900-10-09 Silvio Cator, Haitian athlete and long jumper (Olympic silver 1928), born in Cavaellon, Haiti (d. 1952)
- 1903-11-25 Dehart Hubbard, American athlete (Olympic gold, long jump 1924; first African American to win individual event; WR 7.89m 1925), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 1976)
- 1904-05-27 Chūhei Nambu, Japanese athlete (Olympic gold triple jump 1932; only person to have held WRs in both long jump & triple jump), born in Sapporo, Japan (d. 1997)
- 1908-01-01 Kinue Hitomi, Japanese athlete (World record women's 100m, 200m, long jump, triple jump; Olympic silver 800m 1928), born in Okayama, Japan (d. 1931)
- 1908-07-01 Ed Gordon Jr, American athlete (Olympic gold long jump 1932), born in Jackson, Mississippi (d. 1971)
Jesse Owens (1913-1980)
1913-09-12 American athlete (4 Olympic gold 100/200m, long jump, 4x100m relay 1936), born in Oakville, Alabama
- 1923-07-14 Willie Steele, American athlete (Olympic gold long jump 1948), born in El Centro, California (d. 1989)
- 1928-03-20 Jerome Biffle, American long jumper (Olympic gold, 1952), born in Denver, Colorado (d. 2002)
- 1929-04-25 Yvette Williams, New Zealand long jumper (Olympic gold 1952), born in Dunedin, New Zealand
- 1929-09-26 Meredith Gourdine, American long jumper (Olympic silver 1952), born in Newark, New Jersey (d. 1998)
- 1930-01-20 Raymond Van Gestel, Belgian soccer winger (5 caps; Lyra) and athlete (Belgian long jump champion), born in Mol, Belgium (d. 2020)
- 1930-07-11 Gregory Bell, American long jumper (Olympic gold 1956), born in Terre Haute, Indiana
- 1933-04-15 Vera Krepkina, Russian athlete (Olympic gold USSR long jump 1960; WR 4×100m relay 1956, tied WR 100m 11.3s 1958), born in Kotelnich, Russia (d. 2023)
- 1934-11-11 Elzbieta Krzesinska, Polish long jumper (Olympic gold 1956), born in Warsaw (d. 2015)
- 1937-04-18 Tatyana Shchelkanova, Soviet long jumper (Olympic bronze 1964), born in Rostov, Russia (d. 2011)
Ralph Boston (1939-2023)
1939-05-09 American athlete (Olympic gold long jump 1960, silver 1964, bronze 1968; first to break 27 feet [8.2m] barrier), born in Laurel, Mississippi
- 1939-08-08 Viorica Viscopoleanu, Romanian athlete (Olympic gold, long jump 1968), born in Storozhynets, Romania
- 1939-12-31 Willye White, American athlete (Olympic silver long jump 1956, 4x100m relay 1964; Sports Illustrated 100 greatest women athletes of 20th century), born in Money, Mississippi (d. 2007)
- 1940-02-10 Mary Rand, English field athlete (Olympic long jump gold 6.76m WR 1964), born in Wells, Somerset
- 1942-05-20 Lynn Davies, Welsh athlete (Olympic gold long jump 1964), born in Nantymoel, Wales
- 1942-09-26 Ingrid Mickler-Becker, German long jumper and relayer (Olympic gold 1972), born in Geseke, North Rhine-Westphalia
- 1946-08-29 Bob Beamon, American track and field long jumper (Olympic gold 1968, 29' 2½" 8.9m), born in South Jamaica, Queens, New York
- 1947-02-14 Heidemarie Rosendahl, German athlete (Olympic gold FRG long jump, 4×100m relay, silver pentathlon 1972), born in Hückeswagen, Germany
- 1948-04-07 Arnie Robinson Jr., American athlete (Olympic gold long jump 1976; bronze 1972), born in San Diego, California (d. 2020)
- 1951-05-18 Angela Voigt, German athlete (Olympic gold GDR long jump 1976), born in Weferlingen, Germany (d. 2013)
- 1957-11-07 Kathy McMillan, American long jumper (Olympic silver 1976; Boycott Games gold 1980), born in Raeford, North Carolina
- 1958-07-26 Ramona Neubert, German long jumper and pentathlete (Olympic 4th 80), born in Pirna, Germany
- 1960-08-31 Vali Ionescu, Romanian long jumper, born in Turnu, Romania
Carl Lewis (62 years old)
1961-07-01 American sprinter and long jumper (9 Olympic gold 1984, 88, 92, 96), born in Birmingham, Alabama
- 1962-01-12 Gunde Svan, Swedish cross country skier (4 Olympic gold 1984, 88), born in Järna, Sweden
Jackie Joyner-Kersee (62 years old)
1962-03-03 American athlete (Olympic gold heptathlon 1988, 92; long jump 1988; World C'ship gold x 4), born in East St. Louis, Illinois
- 1962-06-28 Anisoara Stanciu-Cusmir, Romanian long jumper (Olympic gold 1984), born in Brăila, Romania
- 1963-11-10 Michael Anthony Powell, American long jumper (world record 1991, Olympic silver 1988, 92), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 1966-09-04 Jearl Miles Clark, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m relay 1996, 2000; World C'ship gold 400m 1993; 4x400m relay 1993, 95, 2003), born in Gainesville, Florida
- 1967-02-21 Leroy Burrell, American athlete (Olympic gold 4×100m relay 1992 [WR 37.40]; World C'ship gold 1991 [WR 37.50], 93); WR 100m 9.85 1994), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 1967-03-05 Nicole Boegman, Australian long jumper (Olympics 1988, 92, 96)
- 1967-08-09 Elexa Orrange, American long jumper/triple jumper, born in Orange, Texas
- 1968-09-04 Carlette Guidry-White, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m relay 1992, 1996; World C'ships 1995), born in Houston, Texas
- 1971-03-01 Allen Johnson, American athlete (Olympic gold 110m hurdles 1996; World C'ship gold 1995, 97, 2001, 03), born in Washington, D.C.
- 1971-10-15 Roland McGhee, American long jumper, born in Flint, Michigan
- 1972-04-07 Shana Williams, Bridgeton NJ, long jumper/heptathlete
- 1972-12-17 Ivan Pedroso, Cuba, long jumper (Olympic 4th 1992)
- 1973-03-30 Kareem Streete-Thompson, Caymanian-American 100m athlete and long jumper, born in Ithaca, New York
- 1980-03-28 Stiliani Pilatou, Greek long jumper
- 1998-03-18 Miltiadis Tentoglou, Greek athlete (Olympic gold long jump 2020), born in Grevena, Greece
Deaths in Sport
- 1913-02-10 Konstantinos Tsiklitiras, Greek athlete (Olympic gold standing long jump, bronze high jump 1912, 2 x silver 1908), dies from meningitis at 24
- 1931-08-02 Kinue Hitomi, Japanese athlete (World record women's 100m, 200m, long jump, triple jump; Olympic silver 800m 1928), dies from pneumonia at 24
- 1946-08-18 Georg Åberg, Swedish athlete (Olympic silver triple jump; bronze long jump 1912), dies at 53
- 1952-07-21 Silvio Cator, Haitian athlete and long jumper (Olympic silver 1928), dies at 51
- 1957-11-09 Peter O'Connor, Irish athlete (1st recognised world long jump record 1901), dies at 85
- 1966-07-22 Edward Gourdin, American athlete (long jump WR 7.69 m 1921; Olympic silver 1924) and jurist, dies at 68
- 1971-09-05 Ed Gordon Jr, American athlete (Olympic gold long jump 1932), dies at 63
- 1976-06-23 Dehart Hubbard, American athlete (Olympic gold -long jump,1924; first African American to win individual event; WR 7.89m 1925), dies at 72
Jesse Owens (1913-1980)
1980-03-31 American athlete (4 Olympic gold 100/200m, long jump, 4x100m relay 1936), dies of lung cancer at 66
- 1989-09-19 Willie Steele, American athlete (Olympic gold long jump 1948), dies at 66
- 1997-07-23 Chūhei Nambu, Japanese athlete (Olympic gold triple jump 1932; only person to have held WRs in both long jump & triple jump), dies at 93
- 1998-11-20 Meredith Gourdine, American long jumper (Olympic silver 1952), dies at 69
- 2007-02-06 Willye White, American athlete (Olympic silver long jump 1956, 4x100m relay 1964; Sports Illustrated 100 greatest women athletes of 20th century), dies of pancreatic cancer at 67
- 2011-11-24 Tatyana Shchelkanova, Soviet long jumper (Olympic bronze 1964), dies at 74
- 2013-04-11 Angela Voigt, German athlete (Olympic gold GDR long jump 1976), dies at 61
- 2020-04-17 Raymond Van Gestel, Belgian soccer winger (5 caps; Lyra) and athlete (Belgian long jump champion), dies at 90
- 2020-12-01 Arnie Robinson Jr., American athlete (Olympic gold long jump 1976; bronze 1972), dies from a brain tumor at 72
- 2023-04-25 Vera Krepkina, Russian athlete (Olympic gold USSR long jump 1960; WR 4×100m relay 1956, tied WR 100m 11.3s 1958), dies at 90
Ralph Boston (1939-2023)
2023-04-30 American athlete (Olympic gold long jump 1960, silver 1964, bronze 1968; first to break 27 feet [8.2m] barrier), dies after a stroke at 83