in full Peter John Weissmuller
born June 2, 1904, Freidorf, near Timişoara, Rom.
died Jan. 20, 1984, Acapulco, Mex.
U.S. freestyle swimmer and actor.
He was reared in Chicago, where he attended the University of Chicago and developed into a champion swimmer. He won five Olympic gold medals (three in 1924, two in 1928) and set 67 world records. He later became even more famous as an actor, starring as Tarzan of the Apes in 12 films (1932–48) and later creating the role of the comic-book character Jungle Jim for film and television.