The father of modern physical education is Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, a German educator who lived from 1778 to 1852. Jahn is credited with founding the German gymnastics (Turner) movement and is known as the "Father of Gymnastics." He believed physical education was essential for national health, character, and identity. Jahn pioneered gymnastics by creating equipment such as the parallel bars, rings, and balance beam, and he opened the first gymnastic school in Germany in the early 1800s. His Turnverein (gymnastics club) movement spread rapidly and laid the foundation for modern physical education programs