Let's Go Swimming

If you had a java-capable browser, you could change my clothes here! Rated PG.

I like doing java programming and going open-water swimming. I did all the programming for this little applet. It was a lot of fun. Click on my picture to go for a distance swim. If you choose to swim, do it safely.

Swim in every nation listed in CIA World Factbook, and the nations of a few aspirant peoples. Some islands are in dispute and some are without indigenous inhabitants, and except for historic Wake and Midway Islands and Johnston and Palmyra Atolls, these are not listed here.

Swimming

Water Safety

Open Water and Photography

All Nations

Some dates:

    Mato Grosso do Sul created: January 1, 1979
    Sakhalin officially joins Russia: January 2, 1947
    Damian of Molokai born: January 3, 1840
    Rio Grande do Sul flag: January 5, 1966
    Lipetsk oblast founded: January 6, 1954
    Tver (Kalinin) becomes first city in Europe liberated from the Nazis: January 7, 1942
    North Mariana Islands commonwealth day: January 8
    Cantabria statute of autonomy: January 11, 1981
    Asturias and Andalucia statutes of autonomy: January 11, 1982
    Amazonas gets a new flag: January 14, 1982
    Serbia-Montenegro Slavic New Year: January 14
    Ben Franklin born (USA's most famous swimming instructor): January 17, 1706
    James Cook discovers Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau: January 18, 1778
    Dagestan founded: January 20, 1921
    Portland, Oregon incorporated: January 23, 1851
    Sao Paulo founded: January 25, 1554
    Kemerovo oblast founded: January 26, 1943
    Mato Grosso gets its flag: January 31, 1890
    Battle of Stalingrad (Volgograd) ends: February 2, 1943
    Dallas, Texas, incorporated: February 2, 1856
    Darwin, Australia founded (Northern Territory): February 7, 1869
    Sami National Day (Lapp international): February 6
    Ninety below zero in Siberia (record for inhabited territory): February 6, 1933
    Kursk freed from the Nazis: February 8, 1943
    Stavropol territory founded: February 13, 1924
    Lord Howe Island discovered: February 17, 1788
    New Orleans incorporated: February 17, 1805
    First Iron Man race, Big Island, Hawaii: February 18, 1978
    Alberta celebrates Family Day: Third Monday in February
    Buryatia's constitution: February 22, 1994 (celebrated here on Feb. 21)
    James Cook discovers Lana'i: February 25, 1779
    Tokelau vote on independence: February 26, 2006
    Extremadura's statute of autonomy: February 26, 1983
    Ingushetia's constitution: February 27, 1994
    Rio de Janeiro founded: March 1, 1565
    Madrid statute of autonomy: March 1, 1983
    Balearics statute of autonomy: March 1, 1983
    Minneapolis incorporated: March 1, 1856
    Castille-Leon statute of autonomy: March 2, 1983
    Saint Piran's Day (Cornwall): March 5
    Yuri Gagarin born in Smolensk: March 9, 1934
    Yaroslavl region founded: March 11, 1936
    Moscow becomes capital: March 12, 1929
    Melilla and Ceuta statutes of autonomy: March 14, 1995
    Acre (Brazil) gets its flag: March 15, 1921
    Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion become overseas departments of France: March 19, 1946
    Saint Cuthbert's Day (Durham): March 20
    Kansas City MO incorporated: March 28, 1853
    Aland Islands permanently demilitarized: March 30, 1856
    US Virgin Islands Transfer Day: March 31, 1917
    Kalmykia's autonomy: March 31, 1992
    Rapa Nui (Easter Island) discovered by Europeans: April 5, 1722
    Far East Republic founded (Chita): April 6, 1920
    Kerch freed from the Nazis: April 11, 1944
    San Francisco incorporated: April 15, 1850
    Saint Magnus's Day (Orkney): April 16
    Ust-Orda Buryatia votes to unify with Irkutsk: April 16, 2006
    Taymyr referendum to merge: April 17, 2005
    Brasilia officially inaugurated: April 21, 1960
    Amapa gets a new flag: April 23, 1984
    Maluku declares autonomy: April 25, 1950
    Yakutia's constitution: April 27, 1992
    Sardinia's historic day: April 28
    Galicia statute of autonomy: April 28, 1981
    Inner Mongolia granted autonomy: May 1, 1947
    Louisville, Kentucky chartered by Thomas Jefferson: May 1, 1780
    Crimea declares autonomy (?): May 5, 1992
    Amsterdan freed from the Nazis: May 5, 1945
    Oryol freed from the Nazis: May 8, 1943
    Canberra becomes Australia's capital: May 9, 1927
    Sevastopol freed from the Nazis: May 9, 1944
    Manitoba becomes a province of Canada: May 12, 1870
    Alderney liberated from the Nazis: May 16, 1945
    Perm (Russia) founded: May 17, 1723
    Omar Khayyam born: May 18, 1048
    Espirito Santo (Brazil) founded: May 23, 1535
    Komi Repuglic organized: May 26, 1992
    Bavarian Constitution: May 26, 1818
    Petrograd founded by Peter the Great in "Ingria": May 27, 1703
    Treaty with China gives Primorye to Russia: May 28, 1858
    Official Canary Islands Day: May 30
    Official Anguilla Day (UK): May 30
    Clint Eastwood, famous military swimmer / swimming instructor, born: May 31, 1930
    Official Azores Day (Portugal): June 1
    Free Election in Bougainville: June 1, 2005
    St. Petroc's Day (Devonshite): June 4
    Houston, Texas incorporated: June 5, 1837
    Queensland Constitution: June 6, 2002
    Altai Republic Constitution: June 7, 1997
    Midway Atoll freed: June 7, 1942
    Deed of Cession ends Second Samoan civil war: June 7, 1900
    Queen's birthday commemorated St. Helena, Pitcairn, Montserrat, others: Second Saturday in June
    Bounty Day (Norfolk Island): June 8, 1856
    Murcia and La Rioja statutes of autonomy: June 9, 1982
    San Antonio Founded: June 13, 1691
    Falkland Islands Liberated (UK): June 14, 1982
    Roraima flag adopted: June 14, 1996
    Army Corps of Engineers: June 16, 1775
    Vladivostok founded: June 20, 1860
    US Victory at Okinawa: June 21, 1945
    Chuvash Autonomous Oblast formed: June 24, 1920
    Newfoundland / Labrador discovery day: June 24, 1497
    Saints Peter and Paul (Rome): June 29
    Tunguska Meteorite (Evenkia): June 30, 1908
    Saint Serf's Day (Shetland): July 1
    Ontario and Nova Scotia become provinces of Canada: July 1, 1867
    Adygeya becomes a republic: July 3, 1991
    Karachay-Cherkessia becomes a republic: July 3, 1991
    Saint Tynwald Day (Isle of Man): July 5
    Tomsk gets its white horse and green shield: July 5, 1878
    Battle of Monterey: July 7, 1846
    Valencia statute of autonomy: July 10, 1982
    Saint Vladimir's day (Vladimir, Russia): July 15
    Northwest Territories transferred to Canada by the Hudson Bay Company: July 15, 1870
    San Diego Founded: July 16, 1769
    British Columbia became a province of Canada: July 20, 1871
    Narva (Votia) liberated from the Nazis: July 24, 1944
    Piaui (Brazil) gets its flag: July 24,1922
    Korean Armistice: July 27, 1953
    Miami, Florida incorporated: July 28, 1896
    Saint Olav's Day (Faroes): July 29
    Goias (Brazil) gets its flag: July 30, 1919
    US Coast Guard Founded: August 4, 1790
    Victoria founded (Australia): August 5, 1850
    AS-28 rescued off Kamchatka: August 7, 2005
    Chicago organized: August 12, 1833
    Tyumen becomes capital of Siberian region: August 14 1944
    Hong Kong liberated from the Japanese: August 15, 1945
    Aragon and Castile-La-Mancha and Navarre statutes of autonomy: August 16, 1982
    Tiradentes's birthday August 16, 1746 (Minas Gerais)
    Sicily liberated: August 17, 1943
    New South Wales discovered and named by James Cook: August 22, 1770
    Saint Innocent of Alaska born in Irkutsk: August 26, 1797
    Konigsburg liberated from the Nazis (Kaliningrad): August 29, 1944
    Saskatchewan and Alberta became provinces of Canada: September 1, 1905
    Wake Island Liberated: September 4, 1945
    Los Angeles founded: September 4, 1781
    Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, first rocket scientist, born (Kaluga): September 5, 1857
    Maracaibo founded (semi-independent city): September 8, 1529
    Tolstoy's Birthday (Tula): September 9, 1828
    Camp David Accords: September 17, 1978
    Bryansk freed from the Nazis: September 17, 1943
    Catalonia statute of autonomy: September 18, 1979
    Udmurtia formed: September 20, 1990
    Murmansk founded: September 21, 1916
    New York City ceded to the British: September 24, 1664
    France claims New Caledonia: September 24, 1853
    Saint Finbar's Day (Barra): September 25
    Saint Michael's Day (Arkhangelsk and Somerset): September 29
    Xinjiang becomes an autonomous region: October 1, 1955
    Transdniester declares independence: October 2, 1990
    Francis of Assisi: October 4
    Valencia founded: October 9, 1238
    Khakassia established: October 10, 1930
    Bashkortostan sovereignty: October 11, 1990
    Corsica freed from the Nazis: October 15, 1943
    Sergipe flag adopted: October 19, 1920
    Magellan arrives at Tierra del Fuego: October 21, 1520
    Tuva constitution: October 22, 1993
    Lincolnshire flag: October 24, 2005
    Philanthropist Roman Abramovich born (Chukotka): October 24, 1966
    Western Australia landing by Dirk Hartog: October 26, 1616
    Urals Republic founded (Sverdlovsk, Orenburg, Perm, Chelyabinsk, Kurgan) founded: Oct 27, 1993; lasted ten days
    Santa Catarina flag: October 29, 1953
    Salvador founded (Bahia): November 1, 1549
    Abkhazia constitution: November 4, 1994
    Russian Reconciliation Day: November 7
    British Indian Ocean Territory established: November 8, 1965
    Battle of Cocos: November 9, 1914
    Berlin wall comes down: November 9, 1989
    North Ossetia (Alania) Constitution Day: November 12, 1994
    Karelia Republic established: November 13, 1991. The flag specifies a dark blue.
    Tocantins flag adopted: November 17, 1989
    Tasmania discovered: November 24, 1642
    British order the founding of Pittsburgh (Fort Pitt): November 25, 1758
    James Cook discovers Maui: November 26, 1778
    Vologda flag adopted: November 26, 1977
    Texas ranger Thomas Lubbock born: November 29, 1817
    Rio Grande do Nort flag: December 3, 1957
    Khanty-Mansi founded: December 4, 1939
    Hesse renamed: December 4, 1946
    Kabardino autonomy: December 5, 1936
    Magadan seaport opens: December 6, 1933
    Inner Mongolia declares independence: December 8, 1937
    Bela Vezha Agreement (collapse of the Soviet Union): December 8, 1991
    Saint Louis incorporated: December 9, 1822
    Johnston Atoll discovered: December 10, 1807
    Yamal Nenets founded: December 10, 1930
    Volkhov hydroelectric dam, Votia: December 19,1926
    Maranhao flag adopted: December 21, 1889
    Rondonia flag adopted: December 22, 1981
    Mari El Republic formed: December 22, 1990
    Macau becomes a special district of China: December 28, 1999
    Southern Australia founded (planned province rather than convict settlement): December 28, 1836
    Statute of Guernica for Basque autonomy: December 29, 1978
    Saddam Hussein executed: December 30, 2006
    Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa as Canada's capital: December 31, 1857

Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.

        -- Mark Twain

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