Bill Toomey
He conquered the ultimate test of athletic versatility, winning Olympic decathlon gold in the thin air of Mexico City in 1968.
Born 1939 (age 87)·American decathlete·Birthday: January 10·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bill Toomey didn't just win the decathlon; he mastered it at a moment when the event was undergoing a revolution. Emerging as America's top multi-event athlete in the late 1960s, Toomey combined raw power with meticulous technique. His defining moment came at the high-altitude 1968 Mexico City Olympics, a grueling setting that tested athletes' endurance to its limit. There, Toomey put together a remarkably consistent series of performances across the ten disciplines, outpacing a strong field to claim the gold medal and the title of 'world's greatest athlete.' His victory was a triumph of all-around ability, but it also signaled a shift; he was one of the first decathletes to train specifically for the event year-round, moving away from the model of being a collection of single-event specialists. This professional approach helped elevate the decathlon's prestige and set a new standard for those who followed, cementing his place as a pivotal figure in the event's modern history.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bill was born in 1939, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1939
#1 Movie
Gone with the Wind
Best Picture
Gone with the Wind
Bill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1939Born
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1944Started school
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1952Became a teenager
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Could drive
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1957Could vote
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Turned 21
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1969Turned 30
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 40
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 50
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 60
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 70
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 80
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 87 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.
- Set a world record in the decathlon in 1969 with 8,417 points (using the tables of the time).
- Was the first decathlete to break the 8,200-point barrier under the then-current scoring system.
Did You Know?
He was a television sports commentator for ABC following his athletic career.
He married Olympic sprinter and fellow gold medalist Wyomia Tyus in 1973.
He won the Sullivan Award in 1969 as the top amateur athlete in the United States.
“The decathlon is ten separate battles, and you must win the war.”
