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Photo by Downtown Alliance on August 27, 2026. May be an image of ‎one or more people, banner, poster, magazine, newspaper and ‎text that says '‎DOWN TOWN ALLIANCE TA لمل 100 Years Ago, 19-Year-Old Old 19-Y Gertrude Ederle Swam the English Channel. Millions Showed Up to Celebrate‎'‎‎.
Photo by Downtown Alliance on August 27, 2026. May be an image of one or more people, people standing, raft and text that says 'Gertrude Ederle was just 19 years old when she became the first woman (and fastest person all together) to swim across the English Channel.'.
Photo by Downtown Alliance on August 27, 2026. May be a black-and-white image of one or more people, poster and text that says '2729 A native New Yorker, Ederle was met with massive acclaim in her hometown; the ticker-tape parade up Broadway was one of the most well-attended up to that point. She was the first woman to receive an individual tickertape parade in New York history.'.
Photo by Downtown Alliance on August 27, 2026. May be a black-and-white image of poster, crowd and text.
Photo by Downtown Alliance on August 27, 2026. May be a black-and-white image of swimming, wetsuit and text that says 'Before tackling the English Channel, Ederle participated in the 1924 Olympics in Paris, winning a gold medal as part of the U.S. team, and completed a 22-mile swim from Battery Park to Sandy Hook, New Jersey. +'.
Photo by Downtown Alliance on August 27, 2026. May be an image of tailpipe and text that says 'AUGUST 27, 1926 * GERTRUDE EDERLE, FIRST WOMAN to SWIM THE ENGLISH CHANNEL ប្នរកម់គ្រ You can honor Ederle today, and every day by visiting her marker on Broadway, just north of Beaver Street. Head to the link in our bio to read more about her story'.
Downtown Alliance@downtownnyc
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On August 27, 1926, two million people gathered in Lower Manhattan to witness a historic ticker-tape parade. No, it wasn’t a celebration for a long-suffering basketball team. This parade was for Gertrude Ederle, a 19-year-old Olympic swimmer who just a few weeks earlier had become the first woman (and fastest person altogether) to swim across the English Channel. At the link in our bio, learn more about Ederle’s long life – marred by childhood illness and injury that she overcame to perform epic athletic feats 🔗🏊‍♀️

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The New York Historical@nyhistoryTaggedTrudy Ederle Foundation@trudy.ederle.foundationTagged

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