John Stapp American military, fastest man Date of Birth: 11.07.1910 Country: USA

Biography of John Stapp

John Paul Stapp, the fastest man on Earth, was an American military officer, a colonel in the United States Air Force, a medical doctor, and a surgeon. He became famous for his experiments on the effects of speed on the human body. Born in 1910 in Bahia, Brazil, John was the son of American missionaries. He attended school in Texas, USA. In 1931, he earned a Bachelor's degree in biophysics from Baylor University, where he also obtained a Master's degree. He later earned his doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. He furthered his studies at the University of Minnesota and completed his internship at St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth, Minnesota.

The Baylor University later awarded the renowned doctor an honorary degree. In October 1944, Stapp joined the US Army as a military physician and served in the Army Air Corps. In 1946, he was transferred to a military laboratory where he was responsible for testing various oxygen systems and studying the effects of G-forces on the human body. Stapp conducted numerous experiments on himself, gradually increasing speeds and G-forces. In 1951, he achieved an incredible feat by subjecting himself to a 48 G-force acceleration in a rocket-propelled sled that traveled just over 600 meters. In 1954, he subjected his body to an even more severe test, which can be compared to a head-on car crash at speeds of over 100 km/h.

Despite experiencing severe eye strain, vision loss, broken bones, and bruises, Stapp continued his self-experiments. Each broken rib and bruise provided invaluable information to military science, leading to the development of new aircraft models. He was hailed as a pioneer in the study of speed and the fastest man on the planet. It was Stapp who proved the importance of seat belts in cars, and thanks to his efforts, a law mandating their installation was passed in 1966.

In his later years, Stapp served as the president of the New Mexico Research Institute and chaired the Stapp Car Crash Conference. Despite his dangerous experiments, John Paul Stapp lived a long life. He peacefully passed away at the age of 89 in his home in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Among the awards bestowed upon this remarkable individual are the Elliott Cresson Medal from the Franklin Institute and the National Medal of Technology for his research on the impact of mechanical forces on living tissues. John Paul Stapp was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame and the Hall of Fame at the New Mexico Museum of Space History. He also received honorary doctorates from various universities and numerous other accolades.