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
The Men Behind The Best Football Nicknames (Early Chicago Football)
In professional sports, we have experienced a wide spectrum of clearly memorable nicknames. For
Beyond Broadway Joe: The Super Bowl TEAM That Changed Football
In this episode, I talk to Bob Lederer about his book – Beyond Broadway
Super Bowl XXX (Steelers vs. Cowboys): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXX, which was held on January 28, 1996, at
5 Boxers With An Undefeated Record
In this segment ladies and gentlemen, I am going to discuss “The Undefeated” throughout
Big Ben: What A Difference A Great Quarterback Makes!
So, Ben Roethlisberger has finally hung up his cleats. We have enjoyed eighteen years
My Top 10 NFL Playoff Games of the 1970s
I grew up watching football in the 1970s, an era many consider to be
Another Look at the 1947 NFL Championship Game
As we approach the 2022 Super Bowl, one old and familiar name will be
Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League
The authors of “Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the Women’s National Football