Sir Roger Bannister Biography
Runner / Physician
On 6 May 1954, Roger Bannister ran the first timed sub-four-minute mile in history. A medical student at Oxford University at the time, Bannister ran the mile in 3:59:4 at a local meet at Oxford's Iffley Road track. Always an amateur athlete, he retired from competitive running later that year and went on to become a prominent neurologist. His autobiography, First Four Minutes (later reprinted as Four Minute Mile), was published in 1955. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975.Extra credit: Bannister's story was told in the TV movies The Four Minute Mile (1988, with actor Richard Huw as Bannister) and Four Minutes (2005, with Jamie Machlachlan as Bannister)... The track announcer on the day of Bannister's famous run was Norris McWhirter, later a founding editor of The Guinness Book of World Records.
Other 20th-century first-timers include Mount Everest climber Sir Edmund Hillary, trans-Atlantic pilot Charles Lindbergh and moonwalker Neil Armstrong.
Blog posts mentioning Sir Roger Bannister:
Four Good Links
Bannister Stuns World With 4-Minute Mile
1999 St. Petersburg Times article recalls his record-breaking run
The Four Minute Mile!
A fan's fine recap of the big run, with photos
Academy of Achievement
Biography, photos, and a nice deep interview with Sir Roger
Sportsman of the Year
He made 1954's Sports Illustrated cover
Vital Stats
Birth
Birthplace
Death
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Best Known As
First human to run a sub-four-minute mile
