Facts about Gertrude Ederle
Gertrude Ederle died at 98 years old
Born: October 23, 1905
Died: November 30, 2003
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Best known as: The first woman to swim the English Channel
Gertrude Ederle Biography
American Gertrude Ederle was the first woman to swim across the English Channel, on 6 August 1926. Five men had performed the feat previously, but Ederle’s time of 14 hours and 31 minutes broke the record by nearly two hours. The feat earned her lasting fame and a ticker-tape parade when she returned to New York City. Ederle also won a gold and two bronze medals in swimming at the 1924 Olympics.
Extra credit
Ederle played herself in the 1927 movie Swim Girl, Swim… Most sources list her birth year as 1906, but biographer David Adler told Who2 that a family member says she was actually born in 1905.