On August 25, 1875, a 27-year-old former British naval officer named Captain Matthew Webb smeared himself with porpoise oil and became the first person to swim the English Channel. It took 22 hours to swim the 39-mile distance. On July 24, 1883, he attempted to swim the rapids below Niagra Falls and drowned.
I blog every Monday, Wednesday and Friday about the intersection of history and science. My favorite topics are the history of sanitation, funky fashions, and insects.
