The History of Swimming Pools Starts Around 2600 BC
Most people are unaware that swimming pools originated over 5,000 years ago. The first public bath (aka swimming pool) was The “Great Bath” in Mohenjodaro in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. around 2600 B.C. Furthermore between the sixth and eighth century, the affluent Greeks and Romans used swimming pools prominently as well. Many of these were typically great bodies of natural clean spring water used as a gathering place. The first man made pools were revealed in the 1800s in London and were used for swimming competitions. The first recorded swimming races were held in Japan in 36 B.C. It wasn’t until 1896 however that swimming competitions were introduced into the Olympics in Athens, Greece. As you can see the history of swimming pools dates back quite some time.
The History Of Swimming Pools Has Lead To Over 10 Million U.S. Pools Today
The history of swimming pools in the U.S. is quite young comparatively much like our nation. The first inground pool was introduced in Texas in 1910. It was commonly known by the name of Deep Eddy and is still operational in Austin to this day. In Philadelphia, the first above ground pool came into fruition in 1907. Following WWII, swimming pools soared in popularity especially for the wealthy. Today there are more than ten million swimming pools in the United States and over 360,000 that are open to the general public.
Other interesting facts relating to the history of swimming pools:
- President Ford had an outdoor swimming pool built at the White House in 1975.
- swim fins were invented by Benjamin Franklin.
- The first swimming pool on an ocean liner was built in 1907 on the White Star Line’s Adriatic.
- Sixty five percent of Americans don’t know how to swim.
- The bikini swimsuit acquires its name from a U. S. nuclear testing site in the South Pacific called Bikini Atoll.
- Florida is the only state in the United States that had a law on the books that requires Life guards and swimming instructors to be certified.
- An Olympic swimming pool can hold between 700,000 to 850,00 gallons of water!
The History Of Swimming Pools Has Advanced In Technology Exponentially
With such a deep rooted history of swimming pools spanning the globe it is obvious to see that swimming is one of the most popular recreational and therapeutic activities enjoyed today. The advancements in swimming pool technologies has come a long way with almost every customizable feature you could possibly dream of when it comes to your personal swimming paradise. That being said the basic principal is the same. Get out with the loved ones relax and have a good time. A lasting smile on the face is priceless. Take a look here this years swimming pool trends we were able to take part of. It is obvious our era will have made a huge impact on the history of swimming pools .