Portrait of Mark Johnston (swimmer)

Birthday profile

Mark Johnston (swimmer)

Mark Johnston, Canadian swimmer

Born
August 31, 1979
Age in 2026
47
Zodiac sign
Virgo
Birth year
1979

About Mark Johnston (swimmer)

Mark Johnston is a former freestyle swimmer from Canada, who competed at two consecutive Summer Olympic Games, Sydney, Australia in 2000 and Athens, Greece in 2004. Johnston's consecutive 10-year run on the Canadian national team was longer than any other current swimmer at the time. Born and raised in St. Catharines, Ontario, he was named to the national team in 1996 while swimming for Swim Brock Niagara. He went on to win numerous medals on the world stage throughout his career representing Canada at two Commonwealth Games, five World Championships, the Pan-American Games, three Pan-Pacific Aquatic Championships, and several other major international competitions. He is a 14-time national champion, world championship bronze medallist and Olympic finalist in the men's 4 x 200-metre freestyle relay. Mark attended the University of British Columbia and was inducted into the St. Catharines Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. Mark volunteers extensively in the community, has been on various board of directors and is most proud of his time supporting the triathlon community and coaching aquatics for BC School Sports.

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

The world when Mark Johnston (swimmer) was born

Mark Johnston (swimmer) was born in 1979. 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 1979

  • #1 song"My Sharona" – The Knack
  • Top movieKramer vs. Kramer
  • Top TV showLaverne & Shirley
  • Best-selling bookThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports moment"Miracle on Ice" (1980 — actually)
  • Top headlineIran hostage crisis begins
  • Technology milestoneSony Walkman released — portable music goes mainstream
  • Defining fadSony Walkman — portable music revolution
  • Notable inventionSony Walkman
  • World population4.38 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderJimmy Carter
  • Sports championPittsburgh Pirates (World Series)
  • Also wonSeattle SuperSonics (NBA)
  • U.S. population225.1M

1979 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Mark Johnston (swimmer)'s birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19792026
Gas$0.86$3.45/gal
Average home$62,900$435,000
Average income$19,554$67,500
Minimum wage$2.90$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$2.51$11.95
Postage stamp$0.15$0.73
Population225.1M341 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, Olympedia. 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.