Swimming has been recorded since prehistoric times; the earliest recording of swimming dates back to Stone Age

paintings from around 7,000 years ago. Written references date from 2000 BC. Some of the earliest references to swimming include the Gilgamesh, the Iliad, theOdyssey, the Bible, Beowulf, and other sagas. In 1578, Nikolaus Wynmann, a German professor of languages, wrote the first swimming book, The Swimmer or A Dialogue on the Art of Swimming (Der Schwimmer oder ein Zwiegesprch ber die Schwimmkunst). Competitive swimming in Europe started around 1800, mostly usingbreaststroke. In 1873, John Arthur Trudgen introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used byNative Americans. Due to a British dislike of splashing, Trudgen employed a scissor kick instead of the front crawl's flutter kick. Swimming was part of the first modern Olympic games in 1896 inAthens. In 1902 Richard Cavill introduced the front crawl to the Western world. In 1908, the world swimming association, Fdration Internationale de Natation (FINA), was formed. Butterfly was developed in the 1930s and was at first a variant of breaststroke, until it was accepted as a separate style in 1952. Ancient times Cave men from the Stone Age were found in the "Cave of Swimmers" near Wadi Sora on the Gilf Kebir plateau in southwestern Egypt, near the Libyan border. These pictures seem to show breaststroke or dog paddle, although it may also be possible that the movements have a ritual meaning unrelated to swimming. This cave is also featured in the movie The English Patient. An Egyptian clay seal dated between 4000 BC and 9000 BC shows four swimmers who are believed to be swimming a variant of the front crawl. More references to swimming are found in Babylonian basreliefs and Assyrian wall drawings, depicting a variant of the breaststroke. The most famous drawings were found in the Kebir desert and are estimated to be from around 4000 BC. The Nagoda bas-relief also shows swimmers inside of men dating back from 3000 BC The Indian palace Mohenjo Daro from 2800 BC contains a swimming pool sized 30 m by 60 m. The Minoan palace Minos of Knossos in Crete also featured baths. An Egyptian tomb from 2000 BC shows a variant of the front crawl. Depictions of swimmers were also found from the Hittites, Minoans, and other Middle Eastern civilizations, in the Tepantitla compound at Teotihuacan, and in mosaics in Pompeii. Written references date back to ancient times, with the earliest as early as 2000 BC. Such references occur in works like Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Bible (Ezekiel 47:5, Acts 27:42, Isaiah 25:11), Beowulf, and other sagas, although the style is never described. There are also many mentions of swimmers in the Vatican, Borgian and Bourbon codices. A series of reliefs from 850 BC in the Nimrud Gallery of the British Museum show swimmers, mostly in military context, often using swimming aids. The Germanic folklore describes swimming, which was used successfully in wars against the Romans. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_swimming History of Swimming Swimming has been known since prehistoric times. Drawings from the Stone Age were found in "the cave of swimmers" near Wadi Sora (or Sura) in the southwestern part of Egypt. Written references date from 2000 B.C., including Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Bible (Ezekiel 47:5, Acts 27:42, Isaiah 25:11), Beowulf, and other sagas. In 1538 Nicolas Wynman, German professor of languages, wrote the first swimming book, "Colymbetes". Competitive swimming in Europe started around 1800, mostly using breaststroke. The front crawl, then called the trudgen, was introduced in 1873 by John

Arthur Trudgen, copying it from Native Americans. Swimming was part of the first modern Olympic games in 1896 in Athens. In 1902 the trudgen was improved by Richard Cavill, using the flutter kick. In 1908, the world swimming association, Federation Internationale de Natation de Amateur (FINA), was formed. Butterfly was first a variant of breaststroke, until it was accepted as a separate style in 1952. Ancient Times Drawings from the Stone Age were found in "the cave of swimmers" near Wadi Sora (or Sura) in the southwestern part of Egypt near Libya. These pictures seem to show breaststroke or dog paddle, although it may also be possible that the movements have a ritual meaning unrelated to swimming. This cave is also featured in the movie The English Patient. An Egyptian clay seal dated between 4000 B.C. and 9000 B.C. shows four swimmers who are believed to be swimming a variant of the front crawl. More references to swimming are found in Babylonian bas-reliefs and Assyrian wall drawings, depicting a variant of the breaststroke. The most famous drawings were found in the Kebir desert and are estimated to be from around 4000 B.C. The Nagoda bas-relief also shows swimmers dating back from 3000 B.C. The Indian palace Mohenjo Daro from 2800B.C. contains a swimming pool sized 30m by 60m. The Minoan palace Minos of Knossos in Crete also featured baths. An Egyptian tomb from 2000 B.C. shows a variant of the front crawl. Depictions of swimmers were also found from the Hittites, Minoans, and other Middle Eastern civilizations, the Incas in the Tepantitla House at Teotihuacan, and in mosaics in Pompeii. Written references date back to 2000 B.C. including Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Bible (Ezekiel 47:5, Acts 27:42, Isaiah 25:11), Beowulf, and other sagas, although the style is never described. There are also many mentions of swimmers in the Vatican, Borgian and Bourbon codices. The Greeks did not include swimming in the ancient Olympic Games, but practiced the sport, often building swimming pools as part of their baths. One common insult in Greece was to say about somebody that he/she neither knew how to run nor swim. The Etruscans at Tarquinia (Italy) show pictures of swimmers in 600 B.C., and tombs in Greece depict swimmers 500 B.C. The greek Scyllis was taken prisoner on a ship of the Persian king Xerxes I in 480 B.C. After learning about an impending attack on the Greek navy, he stole a knife and jumped overboard. During the night and using a snorkel made from reed, he swam back to the ships and cut them loose. It was also said that the ability to swim saved the Greeks at the Battle of Salamis, while the Persians all drowned when their ships were destroyed. Julius Caesar was also known to be a good swimmer. A series of reliefs from 850 B.C. in the Nimrud Gallery of the British Museum show swimmers, mostly in military context, often using swimming aids. In Japan swimming was one of the noble skills of the Samurai, and historic records describe swimming competitions in 36 B.C. organized by emperor Suigui (spelling unclear), which are the first known swimming races. The Germanic folklore describes swimming, which was used successfully in wars against the Romans. Swimming competitions are also known from that time. http://home.comcast.net/~hot_tub/history-of-swimming.htm

The history of swimming goes way back to that of prehistoric times. Books written from 2000 to 1500 BC including the Bible have references to swimming. It was mostly used in these times as a means of cleansing. Any form of competitive swimming wasnt formed until the 1800s in Europe. It was included in the first Olympics in 1896 in Athens, Greece. It was noted that Ancient Egypt had cave drawings of humans swimming in the nearby sea. They often depicted a form of the breaststroke as the first type of swimming or something they used to call the front crawl. Ancient Egyptian, Grecian and Roman palaces were often equipped with swimming pools or baths. Often reserved for the elite that used them as relaxation pools and cleaning tubs. It is noted by historians that swimming was also often used in battle. The Greeks were often regarded as solid swimmers and at the Battle of Salamis after a number of both Greek and Persian boats were destroyed it was said that all of the Persians drowned due to their inability to swim while the Greek prevailed. The history of swimming is much easier to understand than other sports. Without any equipment to speak of an individual can take to the waters. Obviously those countries that had the most access to water were the first to adapt to swimming. History did not have the spreading of the sport as many other sports had encountered because it was basically already available. You either adopted swimming as a means of life or you just chose not to swim. The evolution of swimming history expanded during the middle ages. A number of individuals took it upon themselves to write books about swimming. They were often focused on the ability to not drown rather than a perfect backstroke as you would imagine. Life saving concepts and techniques began to form throughout the next few hundred years and around the 18th and 19th century the sport began to evolve into more of a competition than just life safety. Swimming Associations and Clubs popped up all over the world. Some of the first in swimming history were in China, Sweden and Germany. Schools began to believe that swimming was a natural part of any life education. Therefore, they began to teach swimming in schools not just as a life safety course but as an extracurricular activity. Schools and Universities began to adopt these practices and set up clubs and swim teams. Competitions began to arise around the mid 1800s. England was the first to modernize the sport and incorporate an indoor swimming pool with a swim team. They began to formulate new swimming styles including the sidestroke. Shortly after this, variations of the freestyle began to form and credit cant really be given to one person as so many were responsible for developing this technique. The Olympic Games of 1896 in Athens was the first real platform for the sport. There only men competed in a number of events. Throughout the 1900s the sport evolved and saw a number of stars arise. Johnny Weissmuller, the original Tarzan completed his ten year career by never losing a race and winning five Olympic medals. Science and technology began to play a part in the sport throughout the 1900s as well. When scientist and coaches began studying swimmers and there underwater techniques to improve times. The swimsuits began to change as well as any form of resistance was under scrutiny from all competitors. Goggles, swim caps and different variations of training have all evolved as well. The US has seen its share of great Olympians going back to Mark Spitz who won seven gold medals in the 1972 Olympics. The sport has evolved to a very competitive and fun sport for anyone. That has always been the great appeal that anyone can swim and we have been for the past 3000 yearsSo goes the history of swimming.

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History Of Swimming
Who doesn't love to plunge into the cold waters of a swimming pool to beat the scorching heat of a summer day! Swimming, definitely, is one of the best ways to relax after a long of work. It also serves as an excellent means of exercise. It helps in burning the excess amount of calories and increases the flexibility of ones body. No doubt, swimming is simply awesome, but learning about the history of swimming is even more amazing and interesting. The earliest records of swimming take us 7,000 years back, wherein the cave walls from the Stone Age depict paintings of swimming. Read on further to know all about the history, origin and background of swimming. Interesting & Amazing Information On Origin & Background Of Swimming

The earliest record of swimming can be traced back to 7,000 years back. Stone Age paintings clearly indicate that swimming was practiced at that time also. Many historic books from 2000 BC give written accounts of swimming, which include Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Bible (Ezekiel 47:5, Isaiah 25:11, Acts 27:42) and Beowulf. However, the style of swimming practiced at that time is still unknown. Apparently, the act of swimming became popular in the Middle Ages. The first swimming book titled Colymbetes was written by Nicholas Wynman, a German professor of languages in 1538. The Encyclopedia of Traditional British Rural Sports states that swimming was required of knights. Also, Romans built swimming pools at all places they conquered. Swimming pools were regarded as a place to exercise and as rostrums for their social gatherings. In 1603, the first swimming organization was established in Japan, as Emperor Go-Yozei declared that all schoolchildren should learn swimming. With the turn of the 19th century, organized swimming started emerging. Various swimming associations were formed, which organized swimming competitions against each other. During this period, countries like US, England, France and Germany made records of setting up swimming clubs. In Germany, the first swimming club was founded in 1837, in Berlin. The first indoor swimming pool was built in England, in 1862. In fact, the English are believed to be the first modern society to consider swimming as a sport. Mathew Webbs swim across the English Channel further increased the sports popularity. A new governing body named the Amateur Swimming Association of Great Britain was formed in 1886, which further fostered the popularity of swimming competitions. Towards the end of 19th century, organized swimming underwent yet another progress, with the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, in 1896. Initially, Olympic Games had 100-m and 1500-m freestyle swimming competitions, for men only. All the events were held in open water. There were only four swimming events, out of which three were free-style. With the popularity of the sport, more strokes like butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke, etc. were added to the list. The 1912 Olympic Games saw women making their debut as swimmers. Eventually, the sport developed into a mainstream event by the 20th century. Indoor pools and public outdoor pools were constructed all across the towns. Since then, various records have been set up by great swimmers of all times. During the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, Mark Spitz won seven gold medals. Shortly thereafter, the first world swimming championship was held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, by the FINA. In 1991, Kristin Otto from East Germany won six gold medals, the most ever won by a woman at the world championship in Seoul. Thereafter, swimming clubs became popular with their image of being a recreational activity. Presently, the Olympic Games have 32 swimming races, 16 each for men and women. It also holds 22 other swimming events for men and women with disabilities.

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History Of Swimming
The history of swimming is a long one, precisely it can be traced back to the prehistoric times. The Bible, as well as the Iliad and the Odyssey all contain references to the sport of swimming. However, these sources date back nearly 3,000 years. Egyptian clay seals from 4000 B.C. also depict four swimmers doing the crawl stroke. Ancient Egyptian, Grecian and Roman palaces were often equipped with swimming pools or baths. Even drawings discovered in the Kebir desert are linked to this time period and show people moving through water. According to the historians, swimming was also often used in the battle. The Greeks were often regarded as solid swimmers. Read on to know more about the origin of swimming. Looking back to swimming history, any form of competitive swimming wasnt formed until the 1800s in Europe. Meanwhile, the evolution of swimming history expanded during the middle ages. Even literary references about the pastime became popular. Nicolas Wynmans book Colymbetes, published in 1538 was the first novel devoted to the subject. Moreover, swimming was introduced as a training regimen for knights in this period. Life saving concepts and techniques began to form throughout the next few hundred years. During 18th and 19th century the sport began to evolve into more of a competition than just life safety. Swimming Associations and Clubs popped up all over the world. Some of the first in swimming history were in China, Sweden and Germany. Another turning point in the history of swimming is when schools accepted swimming as a natural part of any life education. Thus, they began to teach swimming in schools not just as a life safety course but as an extracurricular activity. However, swimming competitions began to arise around the mid 1800s. England was the first to modernize the sport and incorporate an indoor swimming pool with a swim team. In 1837, Londons six artificial pools hosted competitions. They began to formulate new swimming styles including the sidestroke and later evolved freestyle swimming. The 1896 Athens Olympic Games included swimming, offering the 100 meter and 1500 meter freestyle. In time, additional freestyle races were added, as well as the backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke, and the IM or individual medley. The world swimming

association named Federation Internationale de Natation de Amateur (FINA) was established in the year 1908. Women were allowed to participate in 1912 Olympic which was held in Stockholm. Today, swimming is one of the most competitive and most-watched sports at the Olympic Games. Moreover, swimming became one of the top means of exercise. The recreational aspects of swimming continue to make it a popular pastime and a beloved sport.

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