John S. Johnson was an early American cyclist and speed skater. He was the first to bicycle

Bicycle

A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....

 1-mile in less than two minutes, or 1:56.6. This happened in 1892 at a racing track in Independence, Iowa

Independence, Iowa

Independence is a city in and the county seat of Buchanan County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,966 in the 2010 census, a decline from 6,014 in the 2000 census...

. Johnson was also a world record

World record

A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...

 holder in speed skating

Speed skating

Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...

, and won world championship titles in both sports. He was living in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...

, and was of Swedish ancestry. He died in 1934.

See also

For more early American bicycle racing history, see the League of American Wheelmen and Major Taylor.

External links

• In 2003, Johnson was introduced into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame
• In 1960, Johnson was introduced into the Speed Skaters Hall of Fame
• Picture from a 1902 magazine, showing Johnson on bicycle behind a motorized tandem pacemaker, photo by Carl Horner, Boston
  Boston
  Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
  
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