10 Famous Fast Typists in History
Throughout typewriter and keyboard history, legendary fast typists have set records, won contests, and defined what's possible. From 1888's Frank McGurrin to modern champions like Sean Wrona, here are 10 typists who shaped the craft.
1. Frank McGurrin (1858-1933)
Claim to fame: First documented touch typist; won the 1888 Cincinnati typing contest.
- Worked at a court in Salt Lake City, Utah
- Self-taught 10-finger touch typing
- Won $500 (huge sum in 1888) against hunt-and-peck Louis Taub
- Proved touch typing's superiority decisively
- Father of modern typing technique
2. Barbara Blackburn (1929-2008)
Claim to fame: Guinness World Record holder for typing speed — 212 WPM peak.
- 150 WPM sustained for 50 minutes (Guinness record)
- 212 WPM peak in tests
- Used Dvorak Simplified Keyboard
- Demonstrated for decades publicly
- Most famous Dvorak advocate
3. Sean Wrona (b. 1985)
Claim to fame: Modern competitive typing champion; multiple Ultimate Typing Championship wins.
- 256 WPM peak on QWERTY
- Ultimate Typing Championship winner (2010, 2017)
- Programmed his own typing test site
- Studied at MIT
- Current pinnacle of competitive QWERTY typing
4. Stella Pajunas-Garnand (1923-2018)
Claim to fame: Earlier Guinness record holder — 216 WPM on electric typewriter (1946).
- Used IBM electric typewriter
- Briefly held Guinness record
- Demonstrations across mid-century USA
- Married name: Garnand
- Less famous than Blackburn but earlier
5. Albert Tangora (1893-1965)
Claim to fame: Set 147 WPM record in 1923 — held for 18 years.
- Italian-American typist
- Competition typist in 1920s
- Used standard QWERTY mechanical typewriters
- Record stood until 1941
6. Margaret Hamma (1928-2014)
Claim to fame: Speed typist, transcribed dictation at 152 WPM.
- Used IBM Selectric
- Long-time contest competitor
- Mentored many modern fast typists
7. Anthony Ermolin (b. 1988)
Claim to fame: Russian typist, online competition record holder.
- 200+ WPM consistently
- Multiple international typing competition wins
- Plays at Typeracer.com elite level
- Trains daily
8. Mihail Shestakov (b. 1989)
Claim to fame: 10fastfingers.com elite, 250+ WPM peaks.
- Russian typist
- Online competition top-ranked
- Generation of "online competitive typists"
9. Cornelius Wood (early 1900s)
Claim to fame: 1920s typing speed champion, taught speed typing.
- 120 WPM in 1920 (extraordinary for era)
- Author of typing speed books
- Pre-touch typing dominance
10. Helena Matoušková (Czech, late 20th century)
Claim to fame: Won European typing championships multiple years.
- 180+ WPM on Czech QWERTZ
- Demonstrates international scope
- Czech typing competition legend
What they have in common
- Daily practice for years
- Touch typing fundamentals (no peeking)
- Optimal posture and ergonomics
- Specialized practice with weak-key targeting
- Long-term commitment (most famous after 5+ years of dedicated practice)
Modern competitive scene
Where they compete
- Typeracer.com — real-time multiplayer races
- 10fastfingers.com — speed tests with leaderboards
- Monkeytype — clean speed tests
- Ultimate Typing Championship — annual official event
Records
- Live demo records (Blackburn 212 WPM)
- Sustained records (Blackburn 150 WPM for 50 min)
- Burst records (modern 250+ WPM possible)
Will records keep rising?
Physical limits
- Finger movement speed has limits
- Cognitive processing has limits
- 300 WPM considered near-ceiling
Stenotype higher
- 300+ WPM routine for court reporters
- Different mechanism (chord-based)
- See How to type faster on stenotype.
Frequently Asked Questions
Current world record holder?
Sean Wrona for QWERTY competitive. Barbara Blackburn for Guinness historic.
Will QWERTY records be broken?
Slowly yes. 260+ WPM seems achievable, then physics limits.
Did all use QWERTY?
Most yes. Blackburn used Dvorak prominently.
Can I get to 100 WPM?
YES — with months of dedicated practice. See How to type 100 WPM.
Where to compete?
Typeracer.com or 10fastfingers.com for online. Ultimate Typing Championship annually.
What did they practice?
Daily speed drills + accuracy work + weak-letter targeting.
Channel the legends
Typing Hero App — start your journey. The legends started where you are now.
For more: Touch typing speed records, How to type 100 WPM, History of touch typing.