80th birth anniversary of Arati Saha

Google dedicated its doodle to swimmer Arati Saha on her 80th birth anniversary. Saha, who has many firsts to her name, was the first woman to be awarded the Padma Shri in 1960.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2020

Key-Points

Arati Saha (1940 – 1994) was an Indian long distance swimmer, best known for becoming the first Asian woman to swim across the English Channel on 29 September 1959.

At the age of 12, Saha joined India’s first team to participate in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. She was one of the only four women to make the team.

In 1960, she became the first Indian sportswoman to be awarded the Padma Shri.