Lee Evans (sprinter)
An Olympic champion whose record-shattering 400-meter run in Mexico City was matched by his fearless activism for human rights.
1947–2021 (age 74)·American track and field athlete·Birthday: February 25·Baby Boomers
Biography
Lee Evans was more than a sprinter; he was a force of conviction on and off the track. At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, under the immense pressure of global politics and the thin air of high altitude, he wore a black beret and produced one of the most dominant performances in track history. He won the 400 meters in a world record 43.86 seconds, a mark that stood for two decades, and anchored the 4x400 relay team to another record. His victories were statements. A founding member of the Olympic Project for Human Rights, Evans and his teammates used their platform to protest racial injustice, continuing the legacy of Tommie Smith and John Carlos. His career after running was dedicated to coaching and humanitarian work, particularly in Africa, cementing his legacy as an athlete who understood the power of his platform.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Lee was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lee Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Lee's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
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
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2021Died at 74
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
Key Achievements
- Won Olympic gold in the 400 meters and 4x400 meter relay at the 1968 Mexico City Games.
- Set a 400m world record of 43.86 seconds in 1968 that remained unbroken for nearly 20 years.
- Co-founded the Olympic Project for Human Rights, organizing athlete protests against racial discrimination.
- His 4x400m relay world record set in 1968 lasted for 24 years.
Did You Know?
He was the first person to break 44 seconds in the 400 meters.
To protest racial segregation, he refused an athletic scholarship to the University of Southern California.
After his athletic career, he spent years coaching national teams in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
He and his 4x400m relay teammates also wore black berets on the podium in silent protest.
“We felt a responsibility to represent black people throughout the world.”
