© 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. Publicity Listings In response to Zamperini's July 2, 2014 death, the Tournament of Roses committee announced they are "committed to honoring him as the Grand Marshal of the 2015 Rose Parade". What brought Zamperini back from the brink was hearing a Billy Graham sermon in Los Angeles in 1949, a sermon that inspired Zamperini and began the healing process. Track and field star Alice Coachman made history at the 1948 Olympic Games, becoming the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Doris Miller. Louis Zamperini was born on January 26, 1917 in Olean, New York, USA as Louis Silvie Zamperini. Louis Qualifies For The 1936 Olympics. Louis Zamperini died at age 97 of pneumonia on July 2, 2014. The story of Louis Zamperini captured the attention of Americans in the 1940’s and again in recent years thanks to the biography by Laura Hillenbrand Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption and the hit movie Unbroken.. Those familiar with either the movie or the book will recall that after his days as a troubled youth Louis took up running and … Upon his return to the United States, he began his career as a Christian evangelist. He was to be the Grand Marshal for the 2015 Tournament of Roses Parade, held before the football playoff game in Pasadena, California. Zamperini was released only after the war ended in 1945, and he returned to the United States. Death and Legacy Louis Zamperini died of pneumonia at his home in Los Angeles in 2014 at the age of 97. After his release, Zamperini became an inspirational figure, and his life served as the basis for the 2014 biography Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. He was raised in a strict Catholic household. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Yet Zamperini, as a former Olympic athlete, was seen as a propaganda tool by the Japanese, a scenario that likely saved him from execution. Other Works Jay Zeamer Jr. War Hero. He was survived by his son. After 47 days floating in a rubber life-raft at sea with two other crew members (one of the others died after 33 days), he and the plane's co-pilot were rescued/captured by the Japanese, and he spent almost two years, frequently tortured, in a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp. His experiences were detailed in the best-selling 2010 biography Unbroken, which was adapted as a major motion picture under the same name in 2014. Growing up in Torrance, California, Zamperini ran track at Torrance High School and discovered that he had a talent for long-distance running. Desmond Doss. The story was made into a popular movie titled Unbroken, directed by Angelina Jolie. Unbroken is a biography of World War II hero Louis Zamperini, a former Olympic track star who survived a plane crash in the Pacific theater, spent 47 days drifting on a raft, and then survived more than two and a half years as a prisoner of war (POW) in three … If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Louis Zamperini, an Olympian and a war hero, has died at the age of 97. Zamperini also went on to become a prominent inspirational speaker, and he wrote two memoirs, both titled Devil at My Heels (1956 and 2003). In 2009, Zamperini made a friend with Matt Barkley. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. He then earned a Purple Heart medal after being held as a prisoner of war in Ofuna, Japan during World War II. Louis Zamperini was born on January 26, 1917 in Olean, New York, USA as Louis Silvie Zamperini. He died on July 2, 2014 in Los Angeles, California, USA. War Hero. Most Popular #16506. His record time of 4 minutes 21.2 seconds held for 20 years. His track prowess also caught the attention of the University of Southern California, which he earned a scholarship to attend. They found themselves on a Pacific island 2,000 miles from the crash site and in enemy Japanese territory. The starting gun went off as he began his stride to the middle of the surrounding runners. Louis Silvie " Louie " Zamperini (January 26, 1917 – July 2, 2014) was an American World War II prisoner of war survivor, motivational speaker and track and field athlete. Louis Zamperini, the World War II prisoner of war survivor chosen to be the grand marshal for the 2015 Rose Parade died Wednesday at the age of 97, according to a news release from Universal Pictures. |  Norman Schwarzkopf was a Vietnam War veteran, commander of the U.S. Central Command and a four-star general in the U.S. Army. Cyclist Major Taylor was the second Black athlete to hold a world championship in any sport. He had an older brother named Pete and two younger sisters, Virginia and Sylvia. Zamperini died at age 97 of pneumonia on July 2, 2014. During his World War II military service, he was a B-24 bombardier in a plane nicknamed the Green Hornet. https://www.biography.com/military-figure/louis-zamperini. Jack O'Connell was born in Alvaston, Derby, England, to Alison J. , has died at age 97 ) Birth Sign Aquarius, 1943, the son of two Italian immigrants 20! 2014 at the age of 97 he attended Torrance High School track record the. 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