Ben Adams (track and field)
An American jumper who soared to Olympic glory in the now-vanished standing jumps, sharing the podium with his brother in a unique family triumph.
1890–1961 (age 71)·American athlete·Birthday: March 31·The Lost Generation
Biography
In the early 20th century, track and field featured a curious set of events: the standing jumps. With no run-up, athletes would leap from a complete standstill, a test of pure explosive power. Ben Adams was one of its masters. At the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, the standing jump arena became a family affair. Ben, alongside his older brother Platt, formed a formidable duo. While Platt took gold in the standing long jump, Ben secured silver in the standing high jump, clearing 1.60 meters, and bronze in the standing long jump. The image of the two Americans on the podium together remains a charming footnote in Olympic history. Adams's athletic versatility extended beyond the pit; he was also a skilled baseball player, even appearing for Sweden in the exhibition baseball tournament at those same Games. His medals, earned in disciplines discontinued after 1912, are relics of a bygone athletic era.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Ben was born in 1890, placing them squarely in The Lost 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 Ben Was Born
The biggest hits of 1890
Ben's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1890Born
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1895Started school
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1903Became a teenager
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Could drive
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Could vote
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Turned 21
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1920Turned 30
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1930Turned 40
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 50
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 60
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 70
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1961Died at 71
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
Key Achievements
- Won the silver medal in the standing high jump at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.
- Earned the bronze medal in the standing long jump at the same 1912 Games.
- Achieved a unique family podium moment, medaling alongside his gold-winning brother Platt Adams.
Did You Know?
He competed in the demonstration baseball tournament at the 1912 Olympics, playing for the Swedish team.
The standing jumps he excelled in were discontinued from Olympic competition after the 1912 Games.
He and his brother Platt were both members of the Irish American Athletic Club in New York.
“You spring from the ground with all your force, and the height is recorded for history.”
