Roger Bannister
Crosses the Finish Line
Source Spotlight: Roger Bannister broke the
four-minute mile on this date in 1954. It was widely considered medically impossible to run that fast, but Bannister proved the theory wrong when he came in at 3:59.4 at a race at
Oxford University‘s Iffley Road track. A medical student at the time, Bannister went on to a distinguished career as a neurologist. In 1975, he was knighted by
Queen Elizabeth II.
Quote: "Doctors and scientists said that breaking the four-minute mile was impossible, that one would die in the attempt. Thus, when I got up from the track after collapsing at the finish line, I figured I was dead." — Roger Bannister
