Roger Kingdom
A two-time Olympic champion who broke the 110m hurdles world record with a blistering 12.92 seconds in 1989.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American hurdler·Birthday: August 26·Baby Boomers
Biography
Roger Kingdom emerged from the small town of Vienna, Georgia, with a speed that seemed destined for football. A scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh set him on a different track, literally. His athleticism, honed as a wide receiver, translated explosively to the hurdles. At just 22, he stunned the world at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, claiming Olympic gold. He defended his title four years later in Seoul, a rare feat of longevity in a brutally demanding event. Kingdom's pinnacle came in Zurich in 1989 when he shattered the world record, a time that stood for years. After retiring, he channeled his expertise into coaching, applying his understanding of speed mechanics to help NFL players with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, proving his legacy extends beyond the oval track.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Roger was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Roger Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Roger's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Olympic gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
- Successfully defended his Olympic title, winning gold again in the same event at the 1988 Seoul Games.
- Set a world record of 12.92 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles in Zurich in 1989.
- Transitioned to a successful career as a speed and conditioning coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL.
Did You Know?
He was a standout wide receiver in college at the University of Pittsburgh before focusing solely on track.
His 1989 world record of 12.92 seconds was not broken for nearly four years.
He served as a coach for the United States track team at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
He is a member of the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame.
“The hurdles are just obstacles you train your mind to clear.”
