Roger Bannister breaks four-minute mile in 1954

The four-minute mile barrier has been broken countless times since Bannister accomplished the feat (the current record is 3:43), but Bannister was the first to show it was possible. For his efforts, he was named the first-ever Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.RANK: 18 LOCATION: Iffley Road Track | Oxford, UK DATE: 5/6/1954 CATEGORY: More

In 1954, Englishman Roger Bannister rewrote the record books when he became the first person to run a sub-four-minute mile