Achievement1899· sport
Marshall 'Major' Taylor Sets Cycling World Record
Marshall 'Major' Taylor of Worcester, Massachusetts set multiple world records in competitive cycling in 1899 and became world sprint champion. He was the second Black world champion in any sport. Taylor faced organized efforts to exclude him from races, physical violence on the track, and refusal of hotel accommodations on tour, yet dominated the sport internationally and raced to capacity crowds in Europe and Australia.