Florida Pool Pro
sm
• March 2015
23
a rich Roman lord, in Rome. Ancient Greeks and Romans had been building
pools for athletic training, nautical games, and military exercises.
1837-1839
- Swimming pools have gained in popularity in Britain and six
have been built in London by this time. Oxford builds its first public pool.
1896
- The modern Olympic Games begin with swimming races, which
spreads the popularity of swimming pools.
1907-1909
- The USA's first aboveground pool is built in the Racquet Club
of Philadelphia. The first swimming pool on an oceanliner is installed on White
Star's Adriatic. The Oxford Swimming Club is established in Britain.
Post World War I
- Interest in competitive swimming begins to grow in the
USA.
1925
- The Fleishhacker Pool in San Francisco, California opens as the
largest pool in the United States and measures 1000 x 150 feet. The pool was
so large that the lifeguards required kayaks for patrol.
Post World War II
- Hollywood films spread the image of luxurious private
swimming pools, creating a demand for homeowners to have one of their very
own.
1959
- A concrete swimming pool building composed of two floors of
horizontal cubes is built at the Royal Roads Military College in Canada.
2006
- San Alfonso Del Mar Seawater, the largest swimming pool in the
world according to the Guinness World Records, is completed in Algarrobo,
Chile. It is over 3000 feet long and has an area of 20 acres.
Swimming in man-made pools has been going on for centuries and will
continue to evolve with the future.
