Mihir Sen, born on November 16, 1930, in Purulia, West Bengal, was a pioneering Indian swimmer and the first Asian to conquer the English Channel. On September 27, 1958, he completed the 14-hour and 45-minute swim, making history as the first Indian man to achieve this feat. Originally in England to study law, he found his passion in swimming, eventually becoming a national icon. For this remarkable achievement, he was honored with the Padma Shri in 1959.

Sen's adventurous spirit led him to swim across five different seas on five continents in 1966. In April, he crossed the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka, followed by the Strait of Gibraltar in August. A month later, he became the first person to swim the Strait of Dardanelles, and then conquered both the Bosphorus and Panama Canal. Recognizing his global accomplishments, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan in 1967.