John Henry Davis was born on January 12, 1921, in Smithtown, NY. He grew up and rose to weightlifting fame in Brooklyn, NY. John won the US Nationals 12 times, set numerous world records, won 6 World Championships and 2 Olympic Games. At the Weightlifting Nationals of 1941 he became the first man in history to exceed 1,000 pounds in the three-lift total. Davis made 1005, breaking Steve Stanko's historic 1,000-pound American total record that had been set in April of 1941.
