-
Bouncing Baby Boy Arrives in the World
Louis Silvie Zamperini was born to Anthony and Louise Zamperini, two Italian immigrants, in Olean, New York at eleven and a half pounds. -
Sickness
At two years old, Louis became infected with pneumonia. While fighting the sickness, one day Louis climbed outside from his room, streaked, and ran down a street of his neighborhood while being chased by a policeman. -
Warmer Vibes
Following a pediatrician's advice, and Louis' streaking incident, Louis and his family moved to the warmer climates of Torrance, California. In Torrance, Anthony found an occupation as a railway electrician. -
Period: to
Troublesome Child
At the age of five, Louie started smoking, and at the age of eight, he started drinking. This unruly behavior truly started his untamability, giving birth to a "one-boy insurgency". Louie was wild and out of control, continuing to act out throughout his childhood, especially in the areas of stealing and fighting. -
German Excitement in Torrance
The night of August 26, Louie and Pete witnessed to the German Zepplin, Graf Zepplin, passing over the city of Torrance and his house, completely covering the stars and sky. The Graf Zepplin was in the midst of its new journey to circumnavigate the world, beginning on August 7. -
Period: to
Head Over Heals (Or Running Shoes)
Louie finds a role model in Glenn Cunningham, a Kansas State University miler. Cunningham was involved in a horrible accident as a child that killed his brother and left his legs and torso with severe burns. After a long road of recovery, Cunningham was able to run again and began to obliterate his opponents within a couple years. Cunningham was an international sensation, and Louis' hero. -
Older, but Not Wiser
Louie enteres his teenage years, nearly a freshmen in high school and with America enamored by the concept of eugenics. -
Society Targeted by Perfectionism
In the 1930's, America, and especially California, became enticed with the idea of eugenics and perfecting the human race by eliminating all deemed "unfit" (immigrants, insane, criminals, orphans, the disabled, etc.). Louie grew especially concerned about eugenics following the near sterilization of a boy from his neighborhood, and tried to better the person he had become, but all of his efforts backfired and ended badly. -
Bad Habits Continued
At the near middle of his teens, Louie's behavior took a severe turn and became more violent. Louise and Anthony tried to help their son, but it was to no avail as they couldn't change him and he continued to commit the same crimes recurringly. Louie's rehabilitation from his false persona began in 1931 with a key from his house. -
Helping a Brother Out
When Louie was about to start the 9th grade, he was punished by the principal for sneakin kids into the basketball games without paying (he used his house keys to unlock the back door of the Torrance High gym). The principal originally made Louis inelligible for all athletics and social activities, but Pete was able to make Louis ellgible for athletics again, namely track and field, after talking to the principal and telling him it would be his fault if Louis failed in life. -
The Journey Begins: High School
Louis begins his high school career in the 9th grade, as a freshmen at Torrance High. Finally elligible for sports, Louie ran for track and field but was more interested in the girls than the actual running. After completely humiliating himself in his first meet, Pete pushed Louie to train and to train hard, By the end of the track and field season, Louie started winning and placed fifth at the All City Finals. -
Period: to
"And Then I Ran Like Mad."
Over the summer of 1932, Louis did nothing but run. He stayed in a cabin at the Cahuilla Indian Reservation with his friend, running all day long and shooting rabbits for dinner. Louis found peace in running, running because it was what his body desired and returned home with a new zeal towards it. Video (Louis' running career, from when he started to when he was a fast runner)
http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/unbroken/i-believe-in-you -
Period: to
Education
Louis' high school career. High School was thought to be the end of Louis' education, as there wasn't enough money for him to attend any college and he didn't have high enough grades or many skills to earn a scholarship. -
Progression
Louie became increasingly fast in the mile, continuing to detract time from his personal bests and setting state records, reaching the fast time of 4:42 by late April. -
Second Time's A Charm
Louie begins his 10th grade of high school with a new popularity, as a result of his emerging running career. Louie ran for the sophomore class president and ended up winning, and was found dreamy and attractive by many of the girls at his school. When track season started, Louie's training payed off and he won many races and drasitcally lowered his times, even breaking a school record for the 880-yard race, previously help by Pete. -
Wiping out the competition
In 1933, Louie won the two-mile race in the UCLA Cross Country meet, beating out all of his opponents by over a quarter of a mile. -
Breaking the National Record
The prime of Louie's high school running career came at the 1934 Southern California Track and Field Championship, where Louie ran in the mile in 4:21.3, breaking the national record by over two seconds. Louie's record would stand for nineteen years. -
Graduation
Louie finished and graduated from high school in December of 1935, and then focused completely on the upcoming Olympics in Berlin, and the running and training it would take to get there. -
A Higher Education
After graduating and being offered multiple college scholarships for running, Louie accepted an offer made by the University of Southern Caloifornia, where Pete became an incredible runner. He delayed his scholarship until the fall semester, enabling Pete to train Louie the entire summer for the upcoming Olympics. -
Olympic Dreams Becoming a Reality
Pete encouraged Louie to participate in the 5,000-meter run at the Compton Open, a track meet held at the Los Angeles Coliseum. While the distance was three times that which he was used to running, Louie proceeded to train hard for the race, an opportunity to make it on the Olympic team, and came in second place just moments after Bright, a fast 5,000-meter runner. Louie's run won him a spot at the final of the Olympic trials in the 5,000-meter run. -
Berlin, Here I Come
On July 3, Louie left Torrance, CA for the Olympic qualifying meet in the 5,000-meter run, in New York. There, Louis tied with Don Lash, another fast runner, for first place. After winning a spot in the prelims of the 5,000-meter run at the Berlin Olympics, Louie set off on a ship with all the other Olympic athletes for Berlin. Video (Louie as he's leaving for New York): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjjXZlq3-a8 -
Period: to
Headed to the Top
Louie goes on ship to the Olympics in Berlin. He gains twelve pounds. After being on the ship, he later moves to a plane.