The American’s record-breaking jump of 16 feet ¼ inches (4.88 metres) at the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden in New York City in February 1962 before a sell-out made headlines around the world and earned him a coveted spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

His performance was also front-page news in the next morning’s New York Times, but it was not considered as the bar was knocked off by a photographer chasing after Uelses as he started his celebrations.

Uelses was unfazed by the incident, and he vowed to do it again the next night in Boston, which he did with a leap of 16 feet 3/4 inches (4.89 metres).

At the time of his record-breaking jumps, Uelses was a corporal in the United States Marines stationed in Quantico in Virginia.

A few weeks after Uelses’s moment of glory at Madison Square Garden, John Glenn orbited the earth.

"He was the second Marine astronaut to go into space," Uelses told The San Diego Union-Tribune.

"I was the first."

In March 1962, Uelses became the first pole-vaulter to clear 16 feet outdoors, in Santa Barbara in California, reaching 16 feet 3/4 inches again (4.89m), his career personal best.

His record stood for less than a month before another American, Dave Tork, raised it to 16 feet 2 inches (4.93m). 

The world record is now held by Sweden's Armand Duplantis, whose performance of 6.22m equates to 20 feet 4+3⁄4 inches.

Uelses was born Hans Joachim Feigenbaum in Berlin in Germany.

During his early years World War Two forced the family to become refugees.

At age 12, he was sent to the US to live with a great aunt and uncle and was later joined by his brother Fred.

Speaking no English, the two had to study extra hard.

They were later adopted and became US citizens.

At the start of his career, Uelses learned about a US Marine track and field programme that would let him compete in national and international events.

He described himself at the time as "the only Marine who looked forward to boot camp.

Uelses competed US versus Soviet Union cold war matches and considered his victory in 1963 in Moscow, despite an injury, as one of the highlights of his career.

He also was selected to participate in a goodwill exhibition tour of Africa sponsored by the State Department.

Uelses, one of the first vaunters to jump on a fiberglass pole, made this new style of vaulting the standard for future vaunters.

He learned the art of bending the fiberglass pole and had unique style of vaulting with a shorter run up than most rivals thanks to his speed.

In another unique move, Uelses would bend his pole backward, away from the pit.

His style was dismissed by a former world record holder Dan Bragg, who had competed using an aluminium pole.

"Uelses isn’t a great vaulter," he told Time.

"All he did was perfect a gimmick."

Uelses won the gold medal at the 1964 National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships, representing the La Salle University in Philadelphia, but he did not compete at that year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.

He graduated in 1965.

During the Vietnam War, he was a Navy fighter pilot, and in coached high school pole vaulters until 2008.

He died last December from Alzheimer's disease, but his death has only just become public.