Origins & Early Life

Natalie Anne Coughlin Hall (born August 23, 1982) is an American former competition swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist. While attending the University of California, Berkeley, she became the first woman ever to swim the 100-meter backstroke (long course) in less than one minute. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, she became the first U.S. female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympiad, and the first woman ever to win a 100-meter backstroke gold in two consecutive Olympics.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, in her third and final Olympic appearance, she earned a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. Coughlin's success has earned her the World Swimmer of the Year Award once and American Swimmer of the Year Award three times. She has won a total of 59 medals in major international competition, twenty-five gold, twenty-two silver, and thirteen bronze spanning the Olympics, the World, the Pan Pacific Championships, and the Pan American Games. Coughlin was born in Vallejo, California, the daughter of Jim and Zennie Coughlin. She is of Irish and one quarter Filipino ancestry.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Coughlin first began swimming at Vallejo Aquatics Club when she...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• 1982 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament — Contemporary (Born in 1982) (1982): The 44th annual NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
• Alan Ritchson — Contemporary (Born in 1982) (1982): American actor known for roles in Reacher, Titans, and superhero franchises.
• Alexandre Alexeieff — Contemporary (Died in 1982) (1982): Russian-born artist, filmmaker, and illustrator known for inventing the pinscreen technique.
• Abu Bakr — Shared historical date (08-23 · Died) (634): First Rashidun Caliph and esteemed companion of the Prophet Muhammad.
• Bilal (American singer) — Shared historical date (08-23 · Born) (1979): Acclaimed American singer known for wide vocal range and genre-blending soul music.
• Anna Freud — Historical peer (Died in 1982) (1982): Pioneering psychoanalyst known for child psychology and ego theory.
• Arthur Rubinstein — Historical peer (Died in 1982) (1982): Master Polish and American pianist, celebrated for his interpretations of Chopin and classical repertoire.
• Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn — Historical peer (Died in 2008) (2008): Dissident author who exposed Soviet repression, notably the Gulag system.
• Arthur C. Clarke — Historical peer (Died in 2008) (2008): Pioneering science fiction writer, futurist, and popularizer of space travel.
• Adam Yauch — Historical peer (Died in 2012) (2012): Founding member of Beastie Boys; influential rapper, filmmaker, and Tibetan activist.
• 1982 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1982
• August 23 (08-23) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on August 23