John S. Johnson (May 11, 1873 - 1934) was the first to bicycle 1-mile in less than two minutes, or 1:56.6. This happened in 1892 at a racing track in Independence, Iowa. Johnson was also a world record holder in speed skating, and won world championship titles in both sports. He was living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was of Swedish ancestry. He died in 1934.
Picture from a 1902 magazine, showing Johnson on bicycle behind a motorized tandem pacemaker, photo by Carl Horner, Boston.
Not to be confused with governor John Albert Johnson. For more early American bicycle racing history, see the League of American Wheelmen and Major Taylor.
