Jim Montgomery

American swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, world champion, former world record-holder

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Born: January 24, 1955
Age in 2026: 71
Zodiac sign: Aquarius
Birth year: 1955

About Jim Montgomery

James Paul Montgomery is an American former competition swimmer, four-time Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder. Montgomery was the first man to break the 50-second barrier (49.99) in the 100-meter freestyle, at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, where he won three gold medals and one bronze. At Indiana University, he won the NCAA 200-yard freestyle and four AAU titles. In 1975 while at Indiana, he set two world records for the 100-meter freestyle and between 1973-1976 was a member of five world record breaking relay teams.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Jim Montgomery timeline

1975In 1975 while at Indiana, he set two world records for the 100-meter freestyle and between 1973-1976 was a member of five world record breaking relay teams.
1976Montgomery was the first man to break the 50-second barrier (49.99) in the 100-meter freestyle, at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, where he won three gold medals and one bronze.

The world when Jim Montgomery was born

Jim Montgomery was born in 1955. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1955

#1 song"Rock Around the Clock" – Bill Haley & His Comets
Top movieMarty
Top TV showThe $64,000 Question
Best-selling bookLolita – Vladimir Nabokov

Headlines and milestones

Major sports momentBrooklyn Dodgers win their first World Series
Top headlineRosa Parks sparks the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Technology milestoneDisneyland opens in Anaheim, California
Defining fadJames Dean and rebel culture
Notable inventionVelcro commercially available
World population2.77 billion

United States snapshot

U.S. leaderDwight D. Eisenhower
Sports championBrooklyn Dodgers (World Series)
Also wonSyracuse Nationals (NBA)
U.S. population165.3M

1955 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Jim Montgomery's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure	1955	2026
Gas	$0.29	$3.45/gal
Average home	$10,950	$435,000
Average income	$6,200	$67,500
Minimum wage	$0.75	$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket	$0.50	$11.95
Postage stamp	$0.03	$0.73
Population	165.3M	341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, International Olympic Committee. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.