Landy, John (1930-2022), an Australian runner, was the second man in the world to run a mile (1.6 kilometers) in less than 4 minutes. He performed the feat at Turku, Finland, in June 1954, setting a record time of 3 minutes 58 seconds. The British runner Roger Bannister had run a mile in less than 4 minutes a month earlier (see Bannister, Sir Roger). Landy won the bronze medal in the 1,500-meter run at the 1956 Olympic Games.
John Michael Landy was born on April 12, 1930, in Melbourne. He graduated from Melbourne University in 1954 with a degree in agricultural science. Landy was active in environmental activities and agriculture, and he became an accomplished photographer. These interests are reflected in his illustrated book Close to Nature: A Naturalist’s Diary of a Year in the Bush (1985). He also wrote A Coastal Diary: A Study of One of Australia’s Wildest and Most Beautiful Coastlines (1993). He served as governor of the state of Victoria from 2001 to 2006. Landy died on Feb. 24, 2022.
