The American has now won nineteen Olympic medals during his career with fifteen of them being gold.
He tied the record earlier in the evening when he picked up a silver in the 200m Butterfly - losing his Olympic title to South African swimmer Chad le Clos.
The most decorated Olympian before lat night was gymnast Larisa Latynina who had eighteen medals at the end of her career.
With his silver her equalled that record and he was back in the pool at the end of the evening to write himself into the history books.
And with the help of Ryan Lochte, Conor Dwyer and Ricky Berens in the 4x200m freestyle Phelps got his hand on yet another gold medal.
The Aquatic Centre rose to the achievements of the American who will now retire after the London Games at the age of twenty seven.
London 2012 is the third Olympic Games for Phelps who won eight medals back in Athens, six gold and two bronze, and eight gold medals four years ago in Beijing.
In the 4x200m freestyle final France finished second with China home in third.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
by Helen Earnshaw
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