The history of swimming in the Olympics dates back to the inaugural modern Games in 1896 in Athens. Here are some key milestones:

1. 1896 Athens: Swimming was included in the first modern Olympics, with only men competing in four events.
2. 1900 Paris: The program expanded to include longer distances and the first open water event, the 4000m freestyle.
3. 1912 Stockholm: Women competed in Olympic swimming for the first time.
4. 1924 Paris: The introduction of standard 50m pool length and lanes.
5. 1956 Melbourne: The introduction of butterfly stroke as a separate event.
6. 1968 Mexico City: The use of electronic timing was introduced.
7. 1984 Los Angeles: The inclusion of the 50m freestyle event.
8. 2008 Beijing: Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals, setting a record for the most gold medals in a single Olympics.

Swimming has since grown to feature a wide range of events for both men and women, covering various distances and strokes, including freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly, as well as medley and relay events.