Guinn Smith, American pole vaulter, soldier, and pilot (d. 2004)
Owen Guinn Smith (May 2, 1920 – January 20, 2004) was an American athlete, the 1948 Olympic champion in the pole vault.Born in McKinney, Texas, Smith moved to California when he was a child. He was originally a high jumper, but UC Berkeley, the university he wanted to attend, already had a strong high jumping team, so he took up pole vaulting. He won the NCAA championships in 1941, the year before he graduated as a history major. During the remainder of World War II, Guinn Smith served as an air force pilot in Asia.
Smith, the 1947 national pole vault champion, was sent to the 1948 Olympics in London. During a rainy competition, Smith took the gold in his last attempt for 4.30 m (14 ft 11⁄4 in).
He died at age 83 in San Francisco of emphysema.
1920May, 2
Guinn Smith
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- 19Jan
League of Nations
The United States Senate votes against joining the League of Nations. - 8Mar
Arab
The Arab Kingdom of Syria, the first modern Arab state to come into existence, is established. - 19Mar
Treaty of Versailles
The United States Senate rejects the Treaty of Versailles for the second time (the first time was on November 19, 1919). - 28Apr
Soviet Union
Azerbaijan is added to the Soviet Union. - 25Oct
Sinn Féin
After 74 days on hunger strike in Brixton Prison, England, the Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Cork, Terence MacSwiney dies.