On this day: First Person to go over Niagara Falls in a Barrel

Friday, 24th October 2014 by

On October 24, 1901, Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel. A cat used as a test subject a couple of days earlier survived with only a cut to the head, coincidentally the same injury suffered by Taylor. She dubbed herself The Queen of the Mist and described the experience as so traumatic that she would caution anyone against repeating the stunt. However, her hopes for fame and fortune from public appearances were dashed when her manager disappeared with the barrel.

Niagara Falls

Share

Locations

About the author

Ian Brown lives in Ottawa, Canada, and spends his spare time perusing maps to find new routes to ride on his orange bicycle.