7 Fun Facts About Swimming Pools

When researching this list, I was surprised to find out about a lot of these facts. I was really surprised to find out that Ben Franklin swam at ALL! Check out this list of 7 Fun Facts About Swimming Pools and let us know if YOU Know any fun facts about swimming pools in the comments below. Happy Swimming!

• 65% of people in the U.S. don’t know how to swim.
• Swimming is a great cardiovascular exercise because you are moving against the water’s resistance, which is over ten times that of the air.
• The turbopump on the Space Shuttle main engine is powerful enough to drain an average-sized swimming pool in 25 seconds.
• Swim fins were invented by Benjamin Franklin.
• Home swimming pools became popular in the USA after World War II and the publicity given to swimming sports by Hollywood films like Esther Williams Million Dollar Mermaid made a home pool a desirable status symbol.
• President Gerald Ford had the outdoor swimming pool built at the White House in 1975. In 1976, a pool house was added — with a secret, underground passage that let’s the First Family and their guests to get from the White House to the pool without going outside.
• The Titanic was the first ocean liner to have a swimming pool and a gym.

BONUS

• The first filtration system for a swimming pool was introduced in 1910.