First crossing of the English Channel swimming (male)

The first person to swim the English Channel from shore to shore (without a life jacket) was the Merchant Navy captain Matthew Webb (UK, 1848–83) who swam an estimated 61 km (38 miles) to make the 33-kilometre (21-mile) crossing from Dover, Kent, UK to Calais Sands, France, in 21 hours 45 minutes from 12:56 p.m. to 10:41 a.m. on 24–25 August 1875. Paul Boyton (USA) had swum from Cap Gris-Nez to the South Foreland in his patent life-saving suit in 23 hours 30 minutes on 28–29 May 1875. There is some evidence that suggests Giovan Maria Salati (Italy, aka Jean-Marie Saletti, b. 26 March 1796), a Napoleonic soldier, may have escaped from a British prison hulk off Dover, UK, and swam to Boulogne, France, in July or August 1815.

The first crossing from France to England (without a life jacket), meanwhile, was made by Enrico Tiraboschi (Italy), a wealthy man that lived in Argentina, in 16 hours 33 minutes on 12 August 1923, in so doing winning a prize of £1,000 provided by the Daily Sketch newspaper.

As of May 1997, there had been 6,406 attempts to swim the Channel by 4,412 people. Of these, 505 individuals (342 men and 163 women) from 42 countries have made 768 successful crossings; 733 solo, 22 double and 3 triple.