First English Channel Crossing
Matthew Webb swam from England to France in 1875, 21 hours 45 minutes
Overview
Matthew Webb breaststroked from Dover to Calais in August 1875, unassisted by modern nutrition science, drinking brandy and cod liver oil supplied from his support boat. Five earlier attempts by others had failed. His crossing founded the sport of channel swimming and was followed by decades before anyone repeated the swim in the other direction.
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