Bill Burgess
A swimmer of relentless perseverance, he conquered the English Channel on his sixteenth attempt, becoming only the second person ever to do so.
1872–1950 (age 78)·British swimmer·Birthday: June 15·The Gilded Age
Biography
Born in London, Bill Burgess was a man of two nations. He moved to France as a young man, where he became a fixture in the burgeoning world of competitive swimming and water polo. His defining obsession was the frigid, treacherous stretch of water between England and France. For years, the Channel defeated him, with tides, weather, and exhaustion ending attempt after attempt. His story is one of pure, stubborn endurance. Finally, in 1911, after fifteen failures, he swam from Dover to Cap Gris-Nez in just over 22 hours. Beyond this solo feat, Burgess was a versatile athlete, even earning an Olympic bronze medal in 1900 as part of the French water polo team, a testament to his deep integration into French sporting life. His later years were spent in Paris, where he coached and remained a respected figure in aquatic circles until his death.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Bill was born in 1872, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1872
Bill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1872Born
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1877Started school
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1885Became a teenager
Karl Benz builds the first gasoline-powered automobile
President: Grover Cleveland
1888Could drive
President: Grover Cleveland
1890Could vote
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1893Turned 21
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1902Turned 30
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Turned 40
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1922Turned 50
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1932Turned 60
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1942Turned 70
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1950Died at 78
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
Key Achievements
- Became the second person in history to swim the English Channel, achieving the feat in September 1911.
- Won an Olympic bronze medal as a member of the French water polo team at the 1900 Paris Games.
- Completed his historic Channel swim on his sixteenth attempt, a record of perseverance.
Did You Know?
He used a combination of breaststroke and sidestroke for his Channel swim, as the front crawl was not yet the standard for distance swimming.
He was a swimming instructor and coach in Paris for many years after his competitive career.
His successful Channel crossing came 36 years after Matthew Webb's first successful swim.
“The Channel is a living thing; you must respect it, not fight it.”
