July 19, 1922 – This was truly a monumental moment in swimming history! American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller became the first person to break the 1-minute mark barrier for the 100-meter freestyle swim. Weissmuller was like a torpedo as he swam the races duration recording a 58.6 second time at a pool in Alameda, California.
The talented athlete set numerous world records along with winning five gold medals in the Olympics for the US. Johnny won the 100m freestyle and the 4 × 200 m relay team event in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris and the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. Weissmuller also won gold in the 400m freestyle, as well as a bronze medal in the water polo competition in Paris.
His Olympic fame and good looks had him cast into films in Hollywood including the 1932 movie of “Tarzan the Apeman” in which he developed the famous Tarzan yell that is still associated with the vine-swinging hero today.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
Kansas City Royals History (1976 thru 1985)
After the Kansas City Athletics moved to Oakland in 1968, the City was hungry
Senda Berenson and The First Women’s Basketball Game
The very first women’s game recorded happened only one year after the game was
Power Lifting Career of an Average Joe
Before you get started with this article, you may want to read the first
Mastering the Masters: A Brief History of the Tournament
This year’s PGA Masters Tournament is scheduled for April 11 through the 14th. A
Hidden Sports History: Women’s Soccer & Rowing From the 1800s
When it comes to sports, dozens of leagues entertain fans from around the world.
The Bizarre season of the 1970 St. Louis Cardinals
After winning the NFL Championship in 1947 and compiling a combined 21–5 record in
Wrestling History: Through The Eyes of a Boomer
This article is an excerpt from SPORTS & BOOMERS: The History of Sports Through
Olympic Weightlifting Career of an Average Joe
The first time I witnessed Weightlifting was on the television show “Wide World of