When track and field athlete Thomas Edward “Eddie” Tolan (1908–1967), known as The Midnight Express and dubbed by the press as the "World's Fastest Human," won two Olympic gold medals for the 100-meter run and the 200-meter run at the 1932 Los Angeles games, he became the first African American to win the 100-meter run. Born in Denver, Colorado, and raised in Detroit, Michigan, he first garnered attention as a runner while attending the University of Michigan. After the Olympics, he had a short stint in vaudeville and then became a teacher.
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