Eddie Eagan facts for kids
Eddie Eagan c. 1920
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Quick facts for kids Personal information |
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| Born | April 26, 1897 Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
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| Died | 14 June 1967 (aged 70) New York City, U.S. |
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| Alma mater | Yale University, Harvard University, University of Oxford | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Boxing, bobsleigh | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Yale Bulldogs, New Haven | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Edward Patrick Francis Eagan (April 26, 1897 – June 14, 1967) was an amazing American athlete. He was a boxer and a bobsledder. What makes him super special? He's the only person ever to win a gold medal at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in different sports! He won his summer gold in boxing and his winter gold in four-man bobsled. Eddie Eagan is also one of the few athletes who competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
Eddie Eagan's Olympic Journey
Eddie Eagan was born in Denver, Colorado. His family was not wealthy. In 1920, he competed as a boxer at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. He won the gold medal in the light-heavyweight boxing division.
Before the Olympics, Eddie also won the 1919 AAU boxing title. He also won a British amateur boxing title. He tried for another medal at the 1924 Summer Olympics. However, he lost in the first round.
Winter Olympic Gold
Eight years later, Eddie Eagan returned to the Olympics. This time, it was for the Winter Games! He joined the bobsleigh team of Billy Fiske. Their team won the gold medal at the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.
This made Eddie Eagan the first person to win medals in both the Winter and Summer Olympics. After him, four other athletes achieved this amazing feat: Jacob Tullin Thams (Norway), Christa Luding-Rothenburger (East Germany), Clara Hughes (Canada), and Lauryn Williams (United States). Eddie Eagan is also one of only two athletes to win gold medals in both Olympic seasons. The other is Gillis Grafström, who won his summer gold in figure skating.
Eddie Eagan's Life and Career
Eddie Eagan was very smart. He graduated from Yale University in 1921. Then, he studied law at Harvard University and later at the University of Oxford in England. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford in 1928. In 1932, he became a lawyer in the U.S.
During World War II, Eddie Eagan served in the U.S. Army. He fought in many places and became a Colonel. He also received many awards for his service.
In 1948, Eddie Eagan set a world record! He traveled around the world by airplane faster than anyone before him. He flew 20,559 miles and stopped at 18 different places. He beat the old record by more than 20 hours.
Eddie Eagan even appeared on a TV show called "I've Got A Secret" in 1954. He was one of five former Olympic champions on the show.
He passed away in New York City at the age of 70. He was buried at Greenwood Union Cemetery.
See also
In Spanish: Eddie Eagan para niños
