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Diana Nyad/ˈnaɪˌæd/ (née Sneed; born August 22, 1949) is an American author, journalist, motivational speaker, and long-distance swimmer. Nyad gained national attention in 1975 when she swam around Manhattan (28 mi or 45 km) and in 1979 when she swam from North Bimini, The Bahamas, to Juno Beach, Florida (102 mi (164 km)). In 2013, on her fifth attempt and at age 64, she became the first person claiming to have swum from Cuba to Florida without the aid of a shark cage, swimming from Havana to Key West (110 mi or 177 km) although this has not been formally ratified by any recognised swim body. Nyad was also once ranked thirteenth among US women squash players.

TODAY’S ALMANAC

Every Year

• NATIONAL DAY (VIETNAM)

1660s

• 1666: GREAT FIRE OF LONDON BEGAN

1780s

• 1789: CONGRESS ESTABLISHED THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

1850s

• BORN 1850: ALBERT SPALDING (BASEBALL PLAYER)

1890s

• 1897: THE FIRST ISSUE OF MCCALL’S MAGAZINE WAS PUBLISHED. THE MAGAZINE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN CALLED QUEENS MAGAZINE AND QUEEN OF FASHION

1900s

• 1901: VICE PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT UTTERED THE FAMOUS PHRASE, “SPEAK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG STICK” AT THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR

1910s

• BORN 1917: CLEVELAND AMORY (AUTHOR OF THE CAT WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS)

1930s

• BORN 1937: PETER UEBERROTH (BUSINESSMAN)

1940s

• 1945: JAPAN SURRENDERED FORMALLY AT CEREMONIES HELD ABOARD THE BATTLESHIP MISSOURI, TO END WORLD WAR II
• BORN 1948: TERRY BRADSHAW (FOOTBALL PLAYER)
• BORN 1948: CHRISTA MCAULIFFE (SELECTED TO BE THE FIRST TEACHER IN SPACE)

1950s

• BORN 1951: MARK HARMON (ACTOR)

1960s

• BORN 1964: KEANU REEVES (ACTOR)
• BORN 1966: SALMA HAYEK (ACTRESS)
• 1969: FIRST ATM IN U.S. DEBUTED, ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y.

1970s

• DIED 1973: J. R. R. TOLKIEN (AUTHOR)
• BORN 1976: ERIN HERSHEY PRESLEY (ACTRESS)
• 1979: CHARLES BURTON STARTED 3-YEAR POLE-TO-POLE EXPEDITION

1990s

• 1992: THE LONG AWAITED CHESS REMATCH BETWEEN BOBBY FISCHER AND BORIS SPASSKY BEGAN IN YUGOSLAVIA

2000s

• DIED 2001: TROY DONAHUE (ACTOR)
• DIED 2005: BOB DENVER (ACTOR)

2010s

• 2013: DIANA NYAD COMPLETED A TWO-DAY, TWO-NIGHT SWIM FROM CUBA TO FLORIDA AND BECAME THE FIRST PERSON TO ACCOMPLISH THE FEAT UNAIDED BY A SHARK CAGE

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