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
A Discussion of Journeyman Quarterbacks of the 1970s
The term “journeyman quarterback” is an unmistakable term. It means simply a quarterback who
Paul Zimmerman’s All-Time NFL List
Paul Zimmerman was a renaissance man of sports, so to speak–eloquent, prolific, and with
Ollie Matson: The Hall of Famer Traded For 9 NFL Players
There have been very few Olympic medalists that are also in the Pro Football
The Ultimate Recount of Super Bowl XI (Raiders vs. Vikings)
Today we have Super Bowl XI, which was held on January 9, 1977, at
Super Bowl Repeat Winners: What Decade Had The Most?
How many Super Bowl repeat winners have there been over the years? Why is
New York Yankee History: A Brief Overview
Anyone who has followed MLB baseball knows the NY Yankees have a rich tradition
Bears Vs. Packers History: The Story of the First-Ever Meeting
In the long, long history of the National Football League, one rivalry usually grabs
Marshall Goldberg: From the Dream Backfield to First Defensive Specialist
Cardinals’ legend Marshall Goldberg was in the news recently when newly acquired defensive standout