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Mel Patton

Mel Patton, American sprinter and coach (died 2014)

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Born
November 16, 1924
Died
May 9, 2014
Zodiac sign
Scorpio
Birth year
1924

About Mel Patton

Melvin Emery Patton was an American sprinter, who set the world record of 9.2 seconds in the 100-yard dash in 1948. He also set a 220 yd world record in 1949 on a straightaway of 20.2, breaking the record held by Jesse Owens. Melvin Emery Patton (November 16, 1924 – May 9, 2014) was an American sprinter, who set the world record of 9.2 seconds in the 100-yard dash (91.44 metres) in 1948. Patton won two gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics. Patton won the NCAA 100-yard dash in 1947 and in 1948 and 1949 completed the 100 and 220 yd sprint double at that same meet.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Mel Patton timeline

  1. Melvin Emery Patton (November 16, 1924 – May 9, 2014) was an American sprinter, who set the world record of 9.2 seconds in the 100-yard dash (91.44 metres) in 1948.
  2. Patton won the NCAA 100-yard dash in 1947 and in 1948 and 1949 completed the 100 and 220 yd sprint double at that same meet.
  3. Patton won two gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics.
  4. He also set a 220 yd world record in 1949 on a straightaway of 20.2, breaking the record held by Jesse Owens.

The world when Mel Patton was born

Mel Patton was born in 1924. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1924

  • #1 song"It Had to Be You" – Isham Jones
  • Top movieThe Thief of Bagdad (Douglas Fairbanks)
  • Best-selling bookSo Big – Edna Ferber

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentFirst Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
  • Top headlineCalvin Coolidge elected president in a landslide
  • Technology milestoneIBM founded
  • Defining fadMah-jongg craze sweeps America
  • Notable inventionSpiral-bound notebook
  • World population1.95 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderCalvin Coolidge
  • Sports championWashington Senators (World Series)
  • U.S. population114.1M

1924 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Mel Patton's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19242026
Gas$0.21$3.45/gal
Average home$5,800$435,000
Average income$3,520$67,500
Movie ticket$0.25$11.95
Postage stamp$0.02$0.73
Population114.1M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, International Olympic Committee, Olympedia, Wikidata. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.