Men's 200 metres world record progression Records 1951–1976 Records 1951–1976

| Time_ | Wind | Auto | Athlete | Nationality | Location_of_race | Date_ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20.6y |  |  | Andy Stanfield | United States | Philadelphia, United States | May 26, 1951 |
| 20.6 |  |  | Andy Stanfield | United States | Los Angeles, United States | June 28, 1952 |
| 20.6 | 0.0 |  | Thane Baker | United States | Bakersfield, United States | June 23, 1956 |
| 20.6 |  | 20.75 | Bobby Morrow | United States | Melbourne, Australia | November 27, 1956 |
| 20.6 |  |  | Manfred Germar | West Germany | Wuppertal, Germany | October 1, 1958 |
| 20.6y | −1.6 |  | Ray Norton | United States | Berkeley, United States | March 19, 1960 |
| 20.6 |  |  | Ray Norton | United States | Philadelphia, United States | April 30, 1960 |
| 20.5y |  |  | Peter Radford | United Kingdom | Wolverhampton, United Kingdom | May 28, 1960 |