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Today in Swimming History: September 24th, 1991, Nirvana’s Swimming Baby

Braden Keith
by Braden Keith 2

September 24th, 2013 News

Today’s history lesson takes us to a different kind of swimmer, and perhaps one of the few people on the planet who can rival Michael Phelps as the most famous swimmer of all time.

On September 24th, 1991, Nirvana released its famous Nevermind album. It quickly rose to number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and it has sold over 30 million copies worldwide.

It is largely credited with taking the alternative rock genre to a mainstream audience, including the single “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” which is regarded as one of the greatest rock songs of all time.

It was none other than a swimming baby.

The shoot was done using the son of a video producer, who they threw into the famed pool now used by Rose Bowl Aquatics in Los Angeles.

The kid that played the baby is now 22-years old, named Spencer Elden. Earlier this year, Ryan Lochte made a reenactment of the famed cover for ESPN the Magazine.

Swimming Birthdays

 

  • Happy 30th birthday to South Africa’s Olympic gold medalist Lyndon Ferns. He was part of the 400 free relay in Athens that put South Africa into an uproar, along with Roland Schoeman, Darian Townsend, and Ryk Neethling. Ferns swam the 2nd leg with a 48.13 as the South Africans raced to a World Record.
  • Happy 51st birthday to 1980 USSR Olympian Irina Aksyonova. She earned a bronze medal at the Soviet-hosted games in the women’s 400 free relay, and also finaled in the 200, 400, and 800 freestyles.
  • Happy 53rd birthday to 1980 British Olympian Mark Taylor, who took a bronze on the British 400 medley relay.
  • A popular birthday for 1980 Olympians: Hungary’s Sandor Nagy took 6th at the 180 Games in the men’s 400 free. once a very promising young distance swimmer, he made the Olympic final twice at 15 and 19 years old, but would never swim at the Olympics past his teenage years.
  • Happy 42nd birthday to Costa Rican swimmer Sylvia Poll, who took the silver medal in the 200 free at the 1988 Olympics: the first Olympic medal ever for a Costa Rican athlete.
  • Happy 25th birthday to Sweden’s Joline Hostman, a two-time Olympian. She is also the Swedish National Record holder in the 200 breaststroke, having been 2:22.24 in 2009.
  • Happy posthumous 73rd birthday to Arati Saha, the first Asian woman to swim the English Channel.
  • Happy 20th birthday to Notre Dame junior John Nappi.
  • Happy 22nd birthday to former Michigan swimmer Kevin Wilson.
  • Happy 20th birthday to Florida State junior Jordan Jarmakowicz.
  • Happy 20th birthday to Albright College sophomore Matt Runtas.
  • Happy 19th birthday to Western Kentucky sophomore Michelle Craddock, who was an All-Sun Belt Conference swimmer as a freshman.

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Matty T.
11 years ago

On this day in 1991, Red Hot Chili Peppers released their fifth studio album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik….!

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Matty T.
11 years ago

And pearl Jam released ” TEN ” debute album ! all great rock albums .

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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