1. Jim Thorpe Jim Thorpe was born on May 28 1887 near Prague, Oklahoma.May 281887 Prague, Oklahoma Thorpes native name was Wa-Tho-Huk, meaning The Bright Path. His fathers name was Hiram Thorpe.

2. Hiram Thorpe had 19 children from five different wives ! Thorpe went to Sac and Fox Indian Agency School. Thorpe had a twin brother called Charlie.Charlie died of pneumonia when he was eight years old.pneumonia Thorpe did not handle his brother's death very well. He felt so bad that he ran away from school on several occasions.

3. Hiram Thorpe then sent Jim to Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. He did this to stop his son from running away again.Haskell Indian Nations UniversityLawrence, Kansas When his mother died two years later Thorpe felt very very sad. He had many arguments with his father. And finally he ran away from home to work on a horse farm. In 1904 Thorpe returned home and joined Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania Out there he was coached by Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner, one of the best American football coaches.1904Carlisle Indian Industrial School Carlisle, PennsylvaniaGlenn Scobey "Pop" Warner

4. Later that year Thorpes father died. He continued farm work for a few years and then returned to Carlisle where his athletic career started. Thorpe played football for Canton from 1915 through 1920. He also played 52 NFL games. He signed with the New York Giants in 1913 and played there as an outfielder for three seasons.New York Giants Thorpe's favorite sport was football and he was not interested in track and field. Yet track and field soon helped Thorpe to become famous.

5. L A T E R L I F E A N D D E A T H In 1913, Thorpe married Iva Miller, whom he had met at Carlisle.They had four children: Jim Jr., Gale, Charlotte and Grace. His other sons were : Carl, William, Richard, and John. He died on March 28, 1953.March 281953