Arnold Gartmann
A Swiss bobsled pilot who steered his four-man crew to Olympic gold on home snow during the tense pre-war 1936 Games.
1904–1980 (age 76)·Swiss bobsledder·Birthday: November 20·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Arnold 'Noldi' Gartmann seized a moment of sporting glory at a time when Europe was darkening. The 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, were a propaganda showcase for the Nazi regime, but on the bobsled track, the competition was purely athletic. Gartmann, as pilot of the Swiss four-man bob, navigated the treacherous curves with expert precision to claim the gold medal. This victory was a high point for Swiss bobsledding, achieved just before the world descended into war. Little is widely recorded about his life beyond this peak, but his Olympic triumph remains a key entry in the annals of Swiss winter sports, a flash of speed and skill frozen in time.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Arnold was born in 1904, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arnold Was Born
The biggest hits of 1904
Arnold's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1904Born
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Started school
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1917Became a teenager
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Could drive
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1922Could vote
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1925Turned 21
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1934Turned 30
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1944Turned 40
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1954Turned 50
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1964Turned 60
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 70
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1980Died at 76
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
Key Achievements
- Won an Olympic gold medal in the four-man bobsleigh event at the 1936 Winter Olympics.
- Piloted the Swiss crew to victory on a track in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
- Competed internationally in the late 1930s, a peak era for European bobsledding.
Did You Know?
His nickname was 'Noldi'.
The 1936 Winter Olympics were the last to be held before World War II.
He won his gold medal at a Games where Switzerland finished 5th in the overall medal count.
“On that ice, we were just four men and a sled against the clock.”
