Image via Wikipedia
On her 63rd birthday Annie Edson Taylor went over Niagara
Falls in a barrel.
Not your average birthday celebration - particularly when
you consider the fact that she was the first human 'person' to try it.
(As opposed to a cat 'person', which I will explain shortly.)
She was the original 7th decade girl daredevil.
Born on Oct. 24, 1838 in New York, she
grew up rich, pampered and much loved.
She studied to be a teacher and married young.
Unfortuantely, when she was 25 her husband was killed in the American
Civil War, her only child died and the wheels fell off her comfortable
life.
Annie spent the rest of her days trying to put them
back on.
Two days later on Oct. 24, 1901, Annie
was rowed out to the centre of the Niagara River, (see the picture above), helped into her sturdy oak barrel and set adrift.
Her manager, whose name was Frank Russell, made sure the
stunt was well advertised and thousands came to watch as the barrel was tossed over the edge of the Falls and into the mist below.
The scoundrel, Frank Russel, ran off with her barrel and
most of her savings.
And, sorry, cat lovers, I don't know what happened to the fuzzy, fearless feline.
Next: Ho for the Klondike
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