<Tr> <Th> Known for </Th> <Td> First top prize winner on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Home town </Th> <Td> Northampton, Massachusetts </Td> </Tr> <P> John Carpenter (born c. 1968) is an American game show contestant and IRS agent . He is best known for becoming the first top prize winner on the United States version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire . He held the record for the largest single win in United States game show history, until it was broken by Rahim Oberholtzer who won $1.12 million on another U.S. quiz show, Twenty One . Carpenter was also the first top prize winner among all international versions of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? series . </P> <P> On the November 19, 1999 episode of Millionaire, Carpenter proceeded to advance to the million - dollar question without using any lifelines . He then used his Phone - A-Friend to call his father not for help, but rather to tell him he was going to win the game . Carpenter answered the question correctly and became the show's first millionaire . His win gave him national recognition and led to multiple talk show appearances, as well as reappearances on Millionaire itself . </P>

Who won the first million on who wants to be a millionaire