The Captain and Ethelda

Some swimming anniversaries of note:

On August 25th, 1875, Captain Matthew Webb became the first man to swim the English Channel, completing the trip to Dover to Calais in just under 22 hours. He was smeared in dolphin oil (mmm... dolphin oil) and savaged by jellyfish, and he used the breaststroke for the entire trip. Afterwards, he became an international celebrity, which, as it so often does, led to hubris. Eight years later, Webb attempted to swim across the Niagara River right below Niagara Falls. He'd been offered ten thousand quid prize money. But he never collected. Almost immediately after jumping into the river, he was swallowed by the current. His body wasn't found until four days later.

On August 25th, 1920, Ethelda Bleibtrey won the women's 100 meters at the Antwerp Olympics, becoming the first American woman to win a gold medal at the Olympics. Bleibtrey followed it up with gold medals in the 300 meters and 400 meter relay. From 1920 to 1922, Ethelda won every race she entered, but beyond being a swimming powerhouse, she was a powerhouse in her own right, one of the original flappers. In 1919, she was arrested in Manhattan Beach for removing her stockings before taking a dip, considered nude swimming at the time. She is also credited with being one of the first women to sport the flapper's "bob." God bless her for that.