Danville, AL news and local guide

Danville is the birthplace of David Donald Albritton, born on April 13, 1913, who moved with his parents, Josephine and Peter Albritton, to Cleveland, Ohio, where he met Jesse Owens and became his lifelong friend. On July 11, 1936, at the Olympic trials on Randall's Island in New York, Albritton and Cornelius Johnson tied the world high jump record at 6 feet 9 3/4 inches, the first African Americans to hold that mark. At the Berlin Olympics on August 2, 1936, Johnson won gold and Albritton silver, making Albritton the first Alabama native to win an Olympic track and field medal. According to the Alabama marker, Adolf Hitler left the stadium shortly before they received their medals, prompting headlines about Hitler snubbing the Black American winners. Albritton later graduated from Ohio State University. Sources The Historical Marker Database: Dave Albritton (Alabama Tourism Department) Wikipedia: Danville, Alabama