Swimming in History

Events 1 - 100 of 218

• 1742-05-28 1st indoor swimming pool opens (Goodman's Fields, London)
• 1827-07-23 1st US swimming school opens (Boston, Massachusetts)
• 1829-06-08 1st UK municipal swimming pool outside of London opens in Liverpool

• 1892-09-16 Amsterdam swimming club renamed "The Y"
• 1896-04-11 Hungarian swimmer Alfréd Hajós beats Otto Herschmann of Austria by 0.6s to win the inaugural Olympic 100m freestyle final in 1:22.2 at the Athens Games; also takes out the 1,200m on the same day
• 1920-08-23 American swimmer Warren Kealoha wins first of 2 consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 100m backstroke, beating teammate Ray Kegeris at the Antwerp Games
• 1920-08-25 American swimmer Norman Ross wins his first of 3 gold medals at the Antwerp Olympics in dominating men's 1,500m freestyle; also wins 400m freestyle and 4 x 200m freestyle relay
• 1920-08-28 American swimmer Norman Ross wins his 2nd of 3 gold medals at the Antwerp Olympics; beats teammate Ludwig Langer in the men's 400m freestyle; also wins 1,500m and 4 x 200m freestyle relay

• 1920-08-29 Swedish swimmer Håkan Malmrot completes the breaststroke double at the Antwerp Olympics beating teammate Thor Henning in the 200m; also beats Henning for gold in the 400m
• 1921-09-27 American swimmer Johnny Weismuller sets his first 2 world records in the 100m and 150yd freestyle events the A.A.U. Nationals meet in Brighton Beach, NY

• 1924-02-17 American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller sets 100m world freestyle record 57.4s at Miami, Florida
• 1924-04-11 1st men's college swimming championships begin
• 1927-04-05 Johnny Weissmuller sets world records in both the 100m and 200m free style swimming events
• 1928-12-26 Johnny Weissmuller announces his retirement from amateur swimming

• 1934-07-12 Willy de Supervise swims world record 400m (5:16.0)
• 1936-02-27 Dutch swimmer Willy den Ouden sets new women's world 100m freestyle record (1:04.6) in Amsterdam; lasts 22 years until broken in 1956 by Dawn Fraser of Australia
• 1936-08-09 Hungarian swimmer Ferenc Csik wins 100m freestyle gold medal in 57.6 at the Berlin Olympics, beating Japanese pair Masanori Yusa & Shigeo Arai
• 1936-08-14 American swimmers Adolph Kiefer and Al Vande Veghe quinella the 100m backstroke at the Berlin Olympics

• 1938-02-26 Rie Van Veen swims world record 200m free style (2:24.6)
• 1939-11-29 Cor Klint swims world record 200 m backstroke (2:38.8)
• 1940-05-29 Adolf Kiefer swims world record 100 yards backstroke (58.8 sec)
• 1940-07-25 American John Sigmund begins swimming for 89 hours, 46 minutes from St. Louis to Caruthersville, Missouri in the Mississippi River; 292 miles, longest solo swim of all time
• 1941-05-31 German occupiers forbids Jews access to beach & swimming pools
• 1941-05-31 Nazi occupiers forbid Jews access to beaches and swimming pools in the Netherlands
• 1948-07-31 American swimmer Wally Ris wins the coveted 100m freestyle gold medal at the London Olympics beating teammate Alan Ford by 0.4 seconds
• 1948-08-02 Danish swimmer Greta Anderson (1:06.3) touches out American Ann Curtis by 0.2 in the women's 100m freestyle at the London Olympics
• 1948-08-07 American swimmer Jimmy McLane wins the 1,500m for his 2nd gold medal at the London Olympics (4 x 200m freestyle relay); marks a US clean sweep of every men's swimming gold medal at the Games
• 1956-03-03 Dutch swimmer Cockie Gastelaars breaks 20-year old world record for 100m freestyle (1:04.2)
• 1956-11-30 Jon Henricks swims world record 55.4 to win the men's 100m at the Melbourne Olympics; rare Australian 1-2-3 with John Devitt and Gary Chapman taking the minor medals

• 1956-12-04 Australian swimmer Murray Rose sets world record 4:27.3 to claim the 400m gold medal at the Melbourne Olympics; Rose later also wins 1,500m gold
• 1956-12-05 17-year-old British swimmer Judy Grinham and American Carin Cone both swim world record 1:12.9 in the women's 100m backstroke at the Melbourne Olympics; Grinham is awarded gold medal
• 1956-12-06 Australian swimmer David Theile sets world record 1:02.2 to win the 100m backstroke gold medal at the Melbourne Olympics
• 1956-12-07 Australian swimmer Murray Rose claims his 3rd gold medal at the Melbourne Olympics when he wins the 1,500m in 17:58.9; also wins 400m & 4 x 200m relay
• 1958-02-22 Australian swimmer Jon Konrads sets 6 world records in 2 days
• 1958-06-28 American swimmer Nancy Ramey sets world record for 100m butterfly in 1:09.6 in Los Angeles, California
• 1960-03-26 USC captures NCAA swimming title
• 1960-08-27 Anita Lonsbrough swims world/olympic record 200m (2:49.5)
• 1960-08-27 Australian swimmer John Devitt controversially wins the 100m freestyle gold medal at the Rome Olympics; recorded same time 55.2 as silver medallist American Lance Larson
• 1960-08-27 British swimmer Anita Lonsbrough sets 200m breaststroke world record 2:49.5 to beat German pair Wiltrud Urselmann & Barbara Göbel for the gold medal at the Rome Olympics
• 1960-08-29 Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser wins blue ribband 100m freestyle gold medal at the Rome Olympics; retains title won in Melbourne 1956; will win unprecedented 3rd consecutive 100m gold in Tokyo 1964
• 1960-08-30 US women's 4 x 100m medley relay team swims world record 4:41.1 to beat Australia and win the gold medal at the Rome Olympics; Lynn Burke, Patty Kempner, Carolyn Schuler & Chris von Saltza
• 1960-09-01 US 4 x 100m medley relay team swims world record 4:05.4 to beat Australia and win the gold medal at the Rome Olympics; Frank McKinney, Paul Hait, Lance Larson & Jeff Farrell
• 1964-02-29 Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser records the fastest 100m freestyle of her brilliant career; smashes her own world record 58.9s in Sydney; goes on to win her 3rd straight gold in the event at the Tokyo Olympics
• 1964-10-13 Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser wins her third consecutive Olympic 100m freestyle gold medal at the Tokyo Games; Olympic record 59.05s
• 1964-10-13 US sweeps medals in the men's 200m backstroke at the Tokyo Olympics; Jed Graef swims world record 2:10.3 to win gold ahead of teammates Gary Dilley and Bob Bennett
• 1964-10-14 American swimmer Cathy Ferguson sets world record 1:07.7 to beat Kiki Caron of France by 0.2s and win the women's 100m backstroke gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics
• 1964-10-14 American swimmer Dick Roth sets world record 4:45.4 to beat teammate Roy Saari and win the men's 400m individual medley gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics
• 1964-10-15 Australian swimmer Ian O'Brien sets world record 2:27.8 to beat Soviet Georgy Prokopenko by 0.4s and win men's 200m breaststroke gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics
• 1964-10-15 US women's 4 x 100m freestyle relay team of Sharon Stouder, Donna de Varona, Lillian Watson & Kathy Ellis swims world record 4:03.8 to beat Australia by 3.1s and win the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics
• 1964-10-16 American swimmer Sharon Strouder sets world record 1:04.7 to beat Ada Kok of the Netherlands by 0.9s and win the women's 100m butterfly at the Tokyo Olympics
• 1964-10-17 US swimmers go 1-2-3 in the women's 400m individual medley at the Tokyo Olympics; Donna de Varona wins gold in Olympic record 5:18.7 ahead of teammates Sharon Finneran and Martha Randall
• 1964-10-18 Australian swimmer Kevin Berry sets world record 2:06.6 to beat American Carl Robie by 0.9s and win the men's 200m backstroke gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics
• 1965-03-01 Australian swimming authorities suspend triple Olympic gold medal winning sprinter Dawn Fraser for 10 years for misconduct at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics
• 1968-10-18 American swimmer Don Schollander anchors US 4 × 200m freestyle relay team to world record 7:52.1 and the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo; Schollander's 4th gold of the Games
• 1968-10-19 American swimmer Jan Henne in 1:00.0 leads American sweep of the women's 100m freestyle medals at the Mexico City Olympics; teammates Susan Pedersen & Linda Gustavson both swim 1:00.3 for minor medals
• 1968-10-19 Australian swimmer Michael Wendon sets world record 52.2s to win the blue ribband men's 100m freestyle gold medal at the Mexico City Olympics
• 1968-10-22 American swimmers sweep the medals in the women's 200m freestyle at the Mexico City Olympics; Debbie Meyer takes gold in Olympic record 2:10.5 ahead of teammates Jan Henne and Jane Barkman
• 1968-10-23 American swimmer Kaye Hall sets a world record 1:06.2 to beat Canadian Elaine Tanner by 0.5s and win the 100m backstroke gold medal at the Mexico City Olympics
• 1968-10-24 16-year old American swimmer Debbie Meyer wins the inaugural women's 800m gold medal in 9:24.0 at the Mexico City Olympics; first swimmer to win 3 individual gold medals at a Games (200/400m)
• 1968-10-24 Australian swimmer Michael Wendon wraps up the Mexico City Games sprint double when he wins the men's 200m freestyle gold medal in Olympic record 1:55.2
• 1968-10-25 American swimmer Claudia Kolb wraps up the women's individual medley double in Mexico City, winning the 400m I/M in Olympic record 5:08.5; she also won the 200m I/M in OR 2:24.7
• 1968-10-25 East German swimmer Roland Matthes wins the 200m backstroke gold medal in Olympic record 2:09.6 at the Mexico City Games; wraps up backstroke double
• 1972-03-23 Geoge Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh" concert film, directed by Saul Swimmer released in the US

• 1972-08-30 Australian teenage swimmer Shane Gould with a world record 4:19.04 for the 400m, wins her second of 3 gold medals at the Munich Olympics

• 1972-08-31 Australian swimmer Gail Neall with a world record 5:02.97 wins the 400m individual medley gold medal at the Munich Olympics
• 1972-09-01 Australian swimmer Shane Gould wins the 200m freestyle in world record 2:03.56 at the Munich Olympics; her 3rd gold medal & 3rd world record of the Games
• 1972-09-02 East German swimmer Roland Matthes wraps up the Olympic backstroke double with a world record 2:02.82 in the 200m in Munich, having already won the 100m in Olympic record time
• 1972-09-03 American swimmer Keena Rothhammer has to swim world record 8:53.68 to beat Australian wonder-kid Shane Gould in the 800m at the Munich Olympics
• 1972-09-03 American swimmer Mark Spitz wins coveted 100m gold medal in world record 51.22 at the Munich Olympics; completes the freestyle sprint double having already won 200m in world record 1:52.78
• 1972-09-03 Swedish swimmer Gunnar Larsson wraps up the Olympic medley double when he sets world record 2:07.17 in the 200m I/M in Munich, having already won the 400m I/M
• 1972-09-04 American swimmer Melissa Belote with a world record 2:19.19 takes the 200m backstroke gold medal at the Munich Olympics; wraps up backstroke double having won the 100m in Olympic record time
• 1972-09-04 American swimmer Mike Burton sets a world record 15:52.58 to win the 1,500m gold medal at the Munich Olympics
• 1973-08-05 15-year-old Australian swimmer Stephen Holland smashes Mike Burton's 1,500m world record by a massive 14.78 seconds (15:37.8) in Brisbane
• 1980-07-30 American swimmers Mary T Meagher (2.06.37) and Craig Beardsley (1.58.21) both set 200m butterfly world records at the US National Swimming Championships at Irvine, California
• 1981-08-13 American swimmer Mary T. Meagher breaks her own world women's 200 m butterfly record (2:05.96) in Brown Deer, Wisconsin
• 1981-08-15 Robin Leamy of US swims record 7.98 kph for 50 m
• 1981-08-16 American swimmer Mary T. Meagher breaks her own world women's 100 m butterfly record (57.93) in Brown Deer, Wisconsin; holds 100/200m double WR
• 1982-01-10 Petra Schneider swims world record 1500 m freestyle (15:43.31)
• 1982-04-08 Tracy Caulkins wins her 36th US swimming title aged 19
• 1983-02-19 Vladimir Salnikov (USSR) sets 400 m free style swimming record
• 1983-02-22 Vladimir Salnikov (USSR) sets 1500m free style swimming record
• 1984-08-03 17-year-old Australian swimmer Jon Sieben stages a withering finish to upset hot favourite Michael Gross of West Germany in 200m butterfly at Los Angeles Olympics, world record (1:57.04)
• 1985-02-08 Michael Gross swims world record 800m freestyle (7:38.75)
• 1986-02-09 West German team swims world record 4x200 m freestyle (7:05.17)
• 1986-05-18 David Goch finishes swimming 55,682 miles in a 25-yd pool
• 1986-06-23 Pedro Morales swims world record 100m butterfly (52.84)

• 1988-09-19 Australian swimmer Duncan Armstrong sets world record 1:47.25 to win the 200m freestyle gold medal at the Seoul Olympics; beats Anders Holmertz of Sweden by 0.64
• 1988-09-19 British swimmer Adrian Moorehouse wins 100m breaststroke gold medal in 1:02.04 at the Seoul Olympics; edges Károly Güttler of Hungary by 0.01
• 1988-09-21 East German swimmer Silke Hörner sets world record 2:26.71 to win the 200m breaststroke gold medal at the Seoul Olympics; first of 2 gold (4 x 100m medley relay)
• 1988-09-21 Hungarian swimmer Tamás Darnyi sets world record 4:14.75 to win the 400m individual medley at the Seoul Olympics; also wins 200m I/M gold for the medley double
• 1988-09-21 Suriname swimmer Anthony Nesty wins 100m butterfly at the Seoul Olympics; Suriname's first gold; first black to win individual Olympic swim gold medal; thwarts Matt Biondi's attempt at 7 gold medals
• 1988-09-22 American swimmer Janet Evans sets a world record 4:03.85 to win the 400m freestyle gold medal at the Seoul Olympics; 3rd gold medal of the Games (400m I/M, 800m)

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Birthdays 1 - 100 of 338

• 1872-02-24 John Arthur Jarvis, English swimmer (Olympic gold 1,000m, 4,000m, water polo 1900), born in Leicester, England (d. 1933)
• 1878-02-01 Alfréd Hajós, Hungarian swimmer (Olympic gold 100/200m 1896), soccer forward (1 cap) and manager (Hungary 1906), born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1955)
• 1885-03-24 Charlie Daniels, American swimmer (Olympic gold 220yd, 440yd, 4x50yd freestyle 1904, 100m freestyle 1908), born in Dayton, Ohio (d. 1973)
• 1886-03-05 Paul Radmilovic, Welsh swimmer (Olympic gold GB 4×200m freestyle 1908; gold GB water polo 1908, 12, 20), born in Cardiff, Wales (d. 1968)
• 1887-07-06 Annette Kellermann, Australian swimmer, silent-film actress (A Daughter of the Gods; Venus Of The South Seas), and author, born in Marrickville, New South Wales, New South Wales (d. 1975)
• 1888-02-02 Frederick Lane, Australian swimmer (Olympic gold 200m freestyle, 200m obstacle 1900), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1969)
• 1889-08-10 Irene Steer, Welsh swimmer (Olympic gold GB 4 x 100m relay 1912), born in Cardiff, Wales (d. 1977)
• 1890-08-24 Duke Kahanamoku, American swimmer, surfer (Olympic gold 100m freestyle 1912, 20; 4x200m freestyle relay 1920), born in Honolulu, Hawaii (d. 1968)
• 1897-03-13 William Herald, Australian swimmer (Olympic-1920), born in Glebe, New South Wales (d. 1976)
• 1900-11-29 Håkan Malmrot, Swedish swimmer (Olympic gold 200m & 400m breaststroke 1920), born in Örebro, Sweden (d. 1987)

• 1905-10-23 Gertrude Ederle, American swimmer (1st female English Channel 1926), born in New York City (d. 2003)
• 1908-02-07 Clarence "Buster" Crabbe, American swimmer (Olympic gold 1932) and actor (Tarzan the Fearless, Flash Gordon), born in Oakland, California (d. 1983)
• 1911-06-22 Marie Braun, Dutch swimmer (Olympic gold 1928), born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 1982)
• 1913-12-06 Eleanor Holm, American 100m backstroke swimmer (Olympic gold 1932), born in New York City (d. 2004)
• 1913-12-12 Ferenc Csik, Hungarian swimmer (Olympics gold medal 100m freestyle 1936), born in Kaposvár, Hungary (d. 1945)
• 1914-05-20 Hideko Maehata, Japanese swimmer (d. 1995)
• 1917-06-14 Katherine Rawls, American diver (Olympic silver 3m springboard 1932, 36) and swimmer (Olympic bronze 4×100m freestyle 1936), born in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 1982)
• 1917-10-09 Kusuo Kitamura, Japanese 1500m freestyle swimmer (Olympic gold 1932), born in Kōchi, Japan (d. 1996)
• 1918-01-01 Willy den Ouden, Dutch swimmer (WR 100m freestyle, 1:04.06 1933-56; Olympic gold 4×100m freestyle 1936), born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 1997)

• 1918-06-27 Adolph Kiefer, American swimmer (Olympic gold 100m backstroke 1936), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2017)
• 1919-02-26 Rie Mastenbroek, Dutch swimmer (3 x Olympic gold 100m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay, 400m freestyle 1936; silver 100m backstroke 1936), born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 2003)
• 1920-12-10 Ragnhild Hveger, Danish swimmer (Olympic silver 400m freestyle 1936; 44 world records 1938-56), born in Nyborg, Denmark (d. 2011)
• 1921-06-03 Forbes Carlile, Australian athlete and influential swimming coach, born in Melbourne (d. 2016)
• 1921-08-08 Esther Williams, American swimmer and actress (Dangerous When Wet), born in Inglewood California (d. 2013)
• 1923-12-07 Alan Ford, American swimmer (world 100m freestyle record 55.4; Olympic silver 1948), born in Panama Canal Zone, Panama (d. 2008)
• 1924-03-09 George Haines, American swimming coach (7 x US Olympic teams), born in Huntington, Indiana (d. 2006)
• 1924-07-18 Inge Sørensen, Danish swimmer (youngest female Olympic Games medalist in an individual event [12] bronze 200m breaststroke 1936), born in Skovshoved, Denmark (d. 2011)
• 1926-03-06 Ann Curtis, 400m/800m US swimmer (Olympics 2 gold-1948), (d. 2012)
• 1926-10-20 Ursula Happe, German swimmer (Olympic gold 200m backstroke 1956), born in Gdańsk, Poland (d. 2021)
• 1927-04-03 Éva Székely, Hungarian swimmer (Olympic gold 200m breaststroke 1952; silver 1956; first WR 400m individual medley 1953), born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 2020)
• 1927-05-01 Greta Andersen, Danish swimmer (Olympic gold 100m freestyle, silver 4×100m freestyle 1948), born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 2023)
• 1929-05-17 John Davies, Australian swimmer (Olympic gold 200m breaststroke 1952; WR 200m breaststroke 2:34.4 1952), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 2020)
• 1930-09-13 Jimmy McLane, American swimmer (Olympic gold 1500m 1948), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2020)
• 1931-03-24 Thelma Kalama, American 4 X 100m relay swimmer (Olympic gold 1948)
• 1933-01-01 Ford Konno, American swimmer (Olympic gold 1,500m, 4x200m freestyle 1952; WR 200m freestyle 2:03.9, 400m freestyle 4:26.7), born in Honolulu, Hawaii
• 1933-05-29 William Yorzyk Jr., American swimmer (Olympic gold 200m butterfly, WR 2:19.3, 1956), born in Northampton, Massachusetts (d. 2020)
• 1933-06-20 Jean Boiteux, French swimmer (Olympic gold 400m freestyle, bronze 4×200m freestyle 1952), born in Marseilles, France (d. 2010)
• 1933-08-23 Don Talbot, Australian swimming coach and sport administrator (coach national swim teams - Canada, United States, Australia), born in Barnsley, Australia (d. 2020)
• 1934-09-13 Bill Woolsey, American swimmer (Olympic gold men's 4×200m freestyle relay 1952, silver 1956), born in Honolulu, Hawaii (d. 2022)
• 1937-02-04 John Devitt, Australian swimmer (Olympic gold 4x200m freestyle relay 1956, 100m freestyle 1960; silver 100m freestyle 1956; International Swimming HOF), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 2023)
• 1937-02-18 Jeff Farrell, American swimmer (Olympics 2 gold-1960)

• 1937-10-19 Marilyn Bell, Canadian open water swimmer (first to swim across Lake Ontario), born in Toronto, Ontario
• 1938-11-03 Frank McKinney, American swimmer (Olympic gold 4x100m medley), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 1992)
• 1939-01-06 Murray Rose, Australian Olympic swimmer (4x oly gold), born in Birmingham, United Kingdom (d. 2012)
• 1940-06-29 Nancy Ramey, American swimmer (WR 100m butterfly 1:09.1 1959; 200m butterfly 2:40.5 1958; Olympic silver 100m butterfly 1956), born in Seattle, Washington
• 1940-07-03 Lance Larson, American swimmer (Olympic gold 4x100m freestyle relay, silver 100m freestyle 1960; WR 100m butterfly 58.7s 1960), born in Monterey Park, California (d. 2024)
• 1940-10-03 Mike Troy, American swimmer (Olympics 2 x gold 200m butterfly, 4×200m freestyle relay 1960), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 2019)
• 1941-01-30 Tineke Lagerberg, Dutch swimmer, born in Bussum, Netherlands
• 1941-08-10 Anita Lonsbrough, English 200m backstroke swimmer (Olympic gold 1960)
• 1941-10-05 Ricardo Hoffmann, marathon swimmer (299 miles)
• 1942-05-21 John Konrads, Australian swimmer (Olympic gold 1500m freestyle, bronze 400m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle 1960; 26 individual world records), born in Riga, Latvia (d. 2021)
• 1942-06-06 Sandra Morgan, Australian 4x100m freestyle swimmer (Olympic gold 1956), born in Tamworth, New South Wales
• 1942-08-20 Hans-Joachim Klein, German 100m swimmer (Olympic bronze 1964), born in Darmstadt, Germany
• 1943-05-26 Erica Terpstra, Dutch swimmer (Olympic silver 4×100m medley relay, bronze 4×100m freestyle relay 1964) and politician (VVD), born in The Hague, Netherlands
• 1944-01-13 Christina von Saltza, American swimmer (Olympic gold 400m, 4x100m freestyle, 4x100m medley 1960), born in San Francisco, California
• 1944-08-28 Marianne Heemskerk, Dutch swimmer, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 1945-12-18 Carolyn Wood, American 4 X 100m freestyle swimmer (Olympic gold 1960)
• 1946-04-30 Donald Schollander, swimmer (Olympic-4 gold-64), born in Charlotte, North Carolina
• 1947-02-06 Charles Hickcox, American 200m/400m medley swimmer (Olympic-3 gold-1968), born in Phoenix, Arizona (d. 2010)
• 1947-04-26 Donna De Varona, American swimmer (Olympic-2 gold-64), born in Greenwich, Connecticut
• 1947-06-06 Ada Kok, Dutch swimmer (Olympic gold 200m butterfly 1968; silver 100m butterfly, 4×100m medley 1964), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
• 1947-09-26 Dick Roth, American swimmer (Olympic gold men's 400m individual medley 1964), born in Palo Alto, California
• 1948-05-13 Guillermo Echevarría, Mexican swimmer (1,500m WR 16:28.1 1968), born in Mexico City (d. 2021)
• 1948-07-17 Cathy Ferguson, 100m backstroke swimmer (Olympic gold 1964), born in Stockton, California
• 1948-08-30 Donnacha O'Dea, Irish poker player and swimmer
• 1948-11-09 Sharon Stouder, American 100m butterfly swimmer (Olympic gold 1964), born in Altadena, California (d. 2013)
• 1948-11-26 Galina Prozumenshchikova, Ukrainian swimmer (Olympic gold USSR 200m breaststroke 1964; silver 100m breaststroke 1968, 72; bronze 200m breaststroke 1968, 72), born in Sevastopol, Ukraine (d. 2015)
• 1949-07-17 Gennadi Touretski, Russian swimming coach (Soviet Union, Australia national teams; Alexander Popov, Michael Klim, Ian Thorpe), born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 2020)
• 1949-08-22 Diana Nyad, American journalist and long-distance swimmer (1st to swim Bahamas to Fla-1979), born in New York City
• 1949-11-03 Roswitha Krause, German swimmer and team handball player (first woman Summer Olympic medals in different sports; silver 4x100m freestyle 1968, handball 1976), born in Dahme, Germany
• 1949-12-19 Claudia Kolb, American swimmer (Olympic gold 200/400m medley 1968; silver 200m breaststroke 1964), born in Hayward, California

• 1950-06-11 Lillian "Pokey" Watson, American swimmer (Olympic gold 4 x 100 relay 1964, 200m backstroke 1968), born in Mineola, New York
• 1950-11-17 Roland Matthes, German swimmer (Olympic gold 100, 200m backstroke 1968, 72; WR x 19), born in Pößneck, Thuringia, Germany
• 1951-02-03 Felipe Munoz, Mexican 200m backstroke swimmer (Olympic gold 1968)
• 1951-02-22 Elaine Tanner, Canadian swimmer (WR 220yd butterfly, 440yd IM, 100/200m backstroke; Olympic silver 100/200m backstroke 1968), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
• 1951-05-12 Gunnar Larrson, Swedish 200m/400m swimmer (Olympic gold 1972)
• 1951-05-12 Gunnar Larsson, Swedish swimmer (Olympic gold 200/400m medley 1972; World C'ship gold 200m medley 1973), born in Malmö, Sweden
• 1951-08-07 Gary Hall, American swimmer (Olympic silver 400m medley 1968, 200m butterfly 1972, bronze 100m butterfly 1976; 5 x WR), born in Cincinnati, Ohio
• 1951-09-30 Catie Ball, American 100m breast stroke swimmer (Olympic-4X4 gold-1968)
• 1952-02-28 Melissa Babish, SC, swimmer (Olympic)
• 1952-04-15 Bengt Gingsjö, Swedish swimmer, born in Gothenburg, Västra Götaland
• 1952-08-14 Debbie Meyer, American 200m/400m/800m swimmer (Olympic 3 gold-68), born in Annapolis, Maryland
• 1952-08-26 John Kinsella, American swimmer (Olympic gold 1972), born in Oak Park, Illinois
• 1952-12-21 Steve Furniss, American swimmer (WR men's 200m IM 2:06.32 1974; Olympic bronze 1972), born in Madison, Wisconsin
• 1953-01-22 Karen Moe, American swimmer (Olympic gold 200m butterfly 1972), born in Del Monte, Philippines
• 1953-03-14 Tim McKee, American 400m medley swimmer (Olympic silver 1972)
• 1953-05-19 Shavarsh Karapetyan, Soviet Armenian finswimmer, born in Kirovakan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union
• 1953-09-14 Judy Playfair, Australian swimmer, born in Sydney, Australia
• 1953-10-16 Susan Pedersen, American 4 X 100m medley swimmer (Olympic gold 1968)
• 1953-10-24 James di Donato, open water swimmer, one of the Tiger Twins (world record for swimming the butterfly in 40.6 miles)
• 1953-10-24 Jonathan di Donato, open water swimmer, one of the Tiger Twins (world record for swimming the butterfly in 40.6 miles)
• 1954-03-08 David Wilkie MBE, Scottish swimmer (Olympic gold 200m breaststroke 1976; World C 'ship gold 200m breaststroke 1973, 75, 100m 1975), born in Colombo, Sri Lanka
• 1954-05-27 Cathy Carr, American swimmer (Olympic gold 100m breaststroke [WR 1:13.58], 4×100m medley 1972), born in Albuquerque, New Mexico
• 1954-06-15 Beverley Whitfield, Australian swimmer (Olympic Gold 1972), born in Wollongong, Australia (d. 1996)

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• 2005-08-23 Olympic gold medalist swimmer Pieter van den Hoogenband (27) weds fellow Olympic swimmer Minouche Smit at Henkenshage Castle in Sint-Oedenrode, North Brabant, The Netherlands
• 2009-05-01 American Olympic swimming gold medalist Amanda Beard (27) weds photographer Sacha Brown (34) in Wakatobia, Indonesia
• 2011-07-01 Prince Albert of Monaco marries South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock in the Throne Room, Prince's Palace, Monaco

• 1131-04-30 Adjutor, French Catholic Saint and knight in the First Crusade, patron saint of swimmers, boaters, and drowning victims

• 1933-05-09 John Arthur Jarvis, English swimmer (Olympic gold 1,000m, 4,000m, water polo 1900), dies at 61
• 1945-03-29 Ferenc Csik, Hungarian swimmer (Olympics gold medal 100m freestyle 1936), dies of war wounds at 31
• 1955-11-12 Alfréd Hajós, Hungarian swimmer (Olympic gold 100/200m 1896), soccer forward (1 cap) and manager (Hungary 1906), dies at 77
• 1968-01-22 Duke Kahanamoku, American swimmer, surfer (Olympic gold 100m freestyle 1912, 20; 4x200m freestyle relay 1920), dies of a heart attack at 77
• 1968-09-29 Paul Radmilovic, Welsh swimmer (Olympic gold GB 4×200m freestyle 1908; gold GB water polo 1908, 12, 20), dies at 82
• 1969-05-14 Frederick Lane, Australian swimmer (Olympic gold 200m freestyle, 200m obstacle 1900), dies at 89
• 1973-08-09 Charlie Daniels, American swimmer (Olympic gold 220yd, 440yd, 4x50yd freestyle 1904, 100m freestyle 1908), dies at 88
• 1975-11-06 Annette Kellermann, Australian swimmer, silent-film actress (A Daughter of the Gods; Venus Of The South Seas), and author, dies at 87
• 1977-04-18 Irene Steer, Welsh swimmer (Olympic gold GB 4 x 100m relay 1912), dies at 87

• 1982-04-08 Katherine Rawls, American diver (Olympic silver 3m springboard 1932, 36) and swimmer (Olympic bronze 4×100m freestyle 1936), dies from cancer at 64
• 1983-04-23 Clarence "Buster" Crabbe, American swimmer (Olympic gold 1932) and actor (Tarzan the Fearless, Flash Gordon), dies of a heart attack at 75

• 1987-01-10 Håkan Malmrot, Swedish swimmer (Olympic gold 200m & 400m breaststroke 1920), dies at 86
• 1989-11-13 Victor Davis, Canadian swimmer (b. 1964)
• 1992-09-11 Frank McKinney, American swimmer (Olympic gold 4x100m medley), dies in a mid-air collision between 2 aircraft at 53

• 1996-06-06 Kusuo Kitamura, Japanese 1500m freestyle swimmer (Olympic gold 1932), dies at 78
• 1996-08-20 Beverley Whitfield, Australian swimmer (Olympic Gold 1972), dies at 42
• 1997-02-20 Zachary Breaux, American jazz guitarist, dies of a heart attack while trying to save a distressed swimmer in Miami Beach at 36
• 1997-12-06 Willy den Ouden, Dutch swimmer (WR 100m freestyle, 1:04.06 1933-56; Olympic gold 4×100m freestyle 1936), dies at 79
• 2003-11-06 Rie Mastenbroek, Dutch swimmer (3 x Olympic gold 100m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay, 400m freestyle 1936; silver 100m backstroke 1936), dies at 84
• 2003-11-30 Gertrude Ederle, American swimmer (1st female English Channel 1926), dies at 98
• 2004-01-31 Eleanor Holm, American 100m backstroke swimmer (Olympic gold 1932), dies at 90
• 2006-05-01 George Haines, American swimming coach (7 x US Olympic teams), dies of a stroke at 82
• 2007-04-16 Maria Lenk, Brazilian swimmer and first Brazilian woman to compete in the Olympic Games (b. 1915)
• 2007-04-21 Parry O'Brien, American athlete (Olympic gold shot put 1952, 1956; silver 1960), dies of a heart attack during a swimming competition at 75
• 2008-11-03 Alan Ford, American swimmer (world 100m freestyle record 55.4; Olympic silver 1948), dies of emphysema at 84
• 2010-04-11 Jean Boiteux, French swimmer (Olympic gold 400m freestyle, bronze 4×200m freestyle 1952), dies after falling off a tree at 76
• 2011-03-09 Inge Sørensen, Danish swimmer (youngest female Olympic Games medalist in an individual event [12] bronze 200m breaststroke 1936), dies at 86
• 2011-12-01 Ragnhild Hveger, Danish swimmer (Olympic silver 400m freestyle 1936; 44 world records 1938-56), dies at 90
• 2012-04-15 Murray Rose, Australian Olympic gold winning swimmer, dies from leukemia at 73
• 2012-06-26 Ann Curtis, American Olympic swimmer, dies at 86
• 2013-06-06 Esther Williams, American swimmer and actress (Dangerous When Wet), dies from natural causes at 91
• 2013-06-23 Sharon Stouder, American swimmer, dies at 64
• 2014-07-28 Jon Erikson, American swimmer 1st to triple cross English Channel (1981), dies at 58
• 2015-07-19 Galina Prozumenshchikova, Ukrainian swimmer (Olympic gold USSR 200m breaststroke 1964; silver 100m breaststroke 1968, 72; bronze 200m breaststroke 1968, 72), dies after a long illness at 66
• 2016-08-02 Forbes Carlile, Australian athlete and influential swimming coach, dies at 95
• 2017-05-05 Adolph Kiefer, American swimmer (Olympic gold 100m backstroke 1936), dies at 98
• 2019-08-03 Mike Troy, American swimmer (Olympics 2 x gold 200m butterfly, 4×200m freestyle relay 1960), dies at 78
• 2019-12-20 Roland Matthes, German swimmer (Olympic gold 100, 200m backstroke 1968, 72; WR x 19), dies at 69
• 2020-02-29 Éva Székely, Hungarian swimmer (Olympic gold 200m breaststroke 1952; silver 1956; first WR 400m individual medley 1953), dies at 92
• 2020-03-24 John Davies, Australian swimmer (Olympic gold 200m breaststroke 1952; WR 200m breaststroke 2:34.4 1952), dies at 90
• 2020-08-07 Gennadi Touretski, Russian swimming coach (Soviet Union, Australia national teams; Alexander Popov, Michael Klim, Ian Thorpe), dies at 71
• 2020-09-02 William Yorzyk Jr., American swimmer (Olympic gold 200m butterfly, WR 2:19.3, 1956), dies at 87
• 2020-11-03 Don Talbot, Australian swimming coach and sport administrator (coach national swim teams - Canada, United States, Australia), dies from dementia complications at 87
• 2020-12-13 Jimmy McLane, American swimmer (Olympic gold 1500m 1948), dies at 90
• 2021-03-26 Ursula Happe, German swimmer (Olympic gold 200m backstroke 1956), dies at 94
• 2021-04-25 John Konrads, Australian swimmer (Olympic gold 1500m freestyle, bronze 400m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle 1960; 26 individual world records), dies at 78
• 2021-11-24 Guillermo Echevarría, Mexican swimmer (1,500m WR 16:28.1 1968), dies at 73
• 2022-02-20 Aleksandr Sidorenko, Ukrainian swimmer (Olympic gold USSR 400m IM 1980; World C'ship gold 200m IM 1982), dies at 61
• 2022-02-24 Kathleen Nord, German swimmer (Olympic gold GDR 200m butterfly 1988; World C'ship gold 400m medley 1986), dies at 56
• 2022-06-25 Bill Woolsey, American swimmer (Olympic gold men's 4×200m freestyle relay 1952, silver 1956), dies at 87
• 2023-02-06 Greta Andersen, Danish swimmer (Olympic gold 100m freestyle, silver 4×100m freestyle 1948), dies at 95
• 2023-08-17 John Devitt, Australian swimmer (Olympic gold 4x200m freestyle relay 1956, 100m freestyle 1960; silver 100m freestyle 1956; International Swimming HOF), dies at 86
• 2024-01-19 Lance Larson, American swimmer (Olympic gold 4x100m freestyle relay, silver 100m freestyle 1960; WR 100m butterfly 58.7s 1960), dies at 83

• Adam Peaty
• Dawn Fraser
• Ethelda Bleibtrey
• Johnny Weissmuller
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