Niagara Falls is made up of three waterfalls: American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls that straddle the international border between Canada and the United States between the province of Ontario and the state of New York.
In October 1829, Sam Patch, who called himself "the Yankee Leapster", jumped from a high tower into the gorge below the falls and survived; this began a long tradition of daredevils trying to go over the falls.
The first bridge built over Niagara Falls was built in 1848. Its construction started with a boy flying a kite across to the river to the opposite bank. The line he used carried larger and larger cables across the river, which were used to start construction of the bridge.
On June 30, 1859 French acrobat Charles Blondin successfully crossed Niagara Gorge on a tightrope, 160 ft (49 m) above the water, near the location of the current Rainbow Bridge.
Blondin repeated the feat a number of times thereafter, always with different theatrical variations: blindfolded, in a sack, trundling a wheelbarrow, on stilts, sitting down midway while he cooked and ate an omelette and standing on a chair with only one chair leg on the rope.
On three occasions Blondin carried his manager, Harry Colcord, on his back across the Falls, the final time he was watched by the Prince of Wales.
The first woman to cross Niagara Falls by tightrope was Maria Spelterini. She was an Italian tightrope walker who crossed the falls on July 8, 1876, as part of a celebration of the U.S. Centennial. She used a two and a quarter inch (57 mm) wire and crossed just north of the lower suspension bridge. She crossed again on July 12, 1876, this time wearing peach baskets strapped to her feet. She crossed blindfolded on July 19, and on July 22 she crossed with her ankles and wrists manacled. Her final crossing was on July 26.
Annie Edson Taylor, a former teacher from New York, was the first person to survive going over the 167ft drop at Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel. She went over the edge of the over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls for a stunt on October 24, 1901, her 63rd birthday.
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| Niagara Falls, from the American Side by Frederic Edwin Church |
In October 1829, Sam Patch, who called himself "the Yankee Leapster", jumped from a high tower into the gorge below the falls and survived; this began a long tradition of daredevils trying to go over the falls.
The first bridge built over Niagara Falls was built in 1848. Its construction started with a boy flying a kite across to the river to the opposite bank. The line he used carried larger and larger cables across the river, which were used to start construction of the bridge.
On June 30, 1859 French acrobat Charles Blondin successfully crossed Niagara Gorge on a tightrope, 160 ft (49 m) above the water, near the location of the current Rainbow Bridge.
Blondin repeated the feat a number of times thereafter, always with different theatrical variations: blindfolded, in a sack, trundling a wheelbarrow, on stilts, sitting down midway while he cooked and ate an omelette and standing on a chair with only one chair leg on the rope.
On three occasions Blondin carried his manager, Harry Colcord, on his back across the Falls, the final time he was watched by the Prince of Wales.
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| Blondin carrying his manager, Harry Colcord, on a tightrope |
The first woman to cross Niagara Falls by tightrope was Maria Spelterini. She was an Italian tightrope walker who crossed the falls on July 8, 1876, as part of a celebration of the U.S. Centennial. She used a two and a quarter inch (57 mm) wire and crossed just north of the lower suspension bridge. She crossed again on July 12, 1876, this time wearing peach baskets strapped to her feet. She crossed blindfolded on July 19, and on July 22 she crossed with her ankles and wrists manacled. Her final crossing was on July 26.
Annie Edson Taylor, a former teacher from New York, was the first person to survive going over the 167ft drop at Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel. She went over the edge of the over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls for a stunt on October 24, 1901, her 63rd birthday.
Taylor was hoping to make enough money from her achievement to become financially secure, but never got much, in part because her manager stole her barrel.
Bobby Leach was the first man to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, accomplishing the feat on July 25, 1911. He spent six months in hospital recovering from his injuries. Leach traveled the world recounting his ordeal in vaudeville shows. Years later he slipped on a piece of orange peel, injured his leg, and died from complications.
On March 22, 1903, the U.S. side of Niagara Falls ran dry. This was due to an ice jam from the mainland to Goat Island, which diverted the water from the American channel. People were able to walk over the river bed above Green Island and between the mainland and Goat Island.
The winter of 1932 was so cold in America that Niagara Falls froze solid.
American daredevil Nik Wallenda became the first person to cross Niagara Falls on a high wire on June 15, 2012. He completed the crossing at 10:41 p.m. EDT, 25 minutes after he started. In the 1800s, a few tightrope walkers had crossed over the Niagara Gorge down river, but none had ever crossed directly over the Falls. Wallendra carried his passport on the trip and was required to present it to Canadian border guards waiting for him upon his arrival on the Canadian side of the falls.
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| Annie Taylor posing next to her barrel |
Bobby Leach was the first man to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, accomplishing the feat on July 25, 1911. He spent six months in hospital recovering from his injuries. Leach traveled the world recounting his ordeal in vaudeville shows. Years later he slipped on a piece of orange peel, injured his leg, and died from complications.
On March 22, 1903, the U.S. side of Niagara Falls ran dry. This was due to an ice jam from the mainland to Goat Island, which diverted the water from the American channel. People were able to walk over the river bed above Green Island and between the mainland and Goat Island.
The winter of 1932 was so cold in America that Niagara Falls froze solid.
American daredevil Nik Wallenda became the first person to cross Niagara Falls on a high wire on June 15, 2012. He completed the crossing at 10:41 p.m. EDT, 25 minutes after he started. In the 1800s, a few tightrope walkers had crossed over the Niagara Gorge down river, but none had ever crossed directly over the Falls. Wallendra carried his passport on the trip and was required to present it to Canadian border guards waiting for him upon his arrival on the Canadian side of the falls.
Since 1850, more than 5,000 people have gone over Niagara Falls, either intentionally (as stunts or suicide attempts) or accidentally. Only seventeen people have reportedly survived the feat. Following the death of one daredevil in 1951, stunting at Niagara Falls has been illegal and subject to fines of up to $25,000 USD.
750,000 gallons of water flow over Niagara Falls every second.
The Niagara Falls could fill 4,000 bathtubs every second.
Over the last 10,000 years Niagara Falls has moved seven miles upstream.
750,000 gallons of water flow over Niagara Falls every second.
The Niagara Falls could fill 4,000 bathtubs every second.
Over the last 10,000 years Niagara Falls has moved seven miles upstream.
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