Athletes & Sports Icons · Head-to-head
Jim Thorpe vs Babe Ruth
Yes — based on their recorded years, Jim Thorpe (1887–1953) and Babe Ruth (1895–1948) were alive at the same time for at least part of their lives.
Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe was a Native American athlete who won Olympic gold medals in 1912 and went on to play professional football, baseball, and basketball, becoming one of the most versatile athletes of the 20th century.
Key achievements
- Won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.
- Became the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal for the United States.
- Played professional football, baseball, and basketball across his athletic career.
- Was posthumously restored his Olympic medals decades after they were controversially revoked.
Fast fact
Thorpe was stripped of his 1912 Olympic gold medals in 1913 after it was revealed he had once been paid to play minor league baseball, a violation of amateurism rules at the time; the medals were posthumously restored to him decades later.
Full profile of Jim Thorpe →Babe Ruth
An American baseball player considered by many to be the greatest player of all time, nicknamed the Sultan of Swat.
Key achievements
- Played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1914 to 1935
- Achieved lasting fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees
- Set numerous batting records that stood for decades
- Was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame's first class in 1936
Fast fact
Babe Ruth was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936 as one of its first five members.
Full profile of Babe Ruth →Who lived first, Jim Thorpe or Babe Ruth?
Jim Thorpe (1887–1953) lived first, before Babe Ruth (1895–1948), based on their recorded years.
Were Jim Thorpe and Babe Ruth contemporaries?
Yes — based on their recorded years, Jim Thorpe (1887–1953) and Babe Ruth (1895–1948) were alive at the same time for at least part of their lives.
What do Jim Thorpe and Babe Ruth have in common?
Both Jim Thorpe and Babe Ruth are grouped among our Athletes & Sports Icons figures and lived during the Modern Era.