Niagara Falls attracts many people, most come for the sightseeing, but some are more adventurous.
These people intentionally went over Niagara Falls.
October 24, 1901- The first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel was a 63 year old schoolteacher, named Annie Taylor. She survived the plunge. Annie is quoted as saying, "No one ought ever do that again."- July 25, 1911- Bobby Leach braved Niagara Falls in a steel barrel. He survived, but spent six months in hospital after his stunt.
- July 11, 1920- Charles Stephens tried to go over the Falls in a barrel, but died.
- July 4, 1928- Jean Lussier used a rubber ball filled with rubber tubes to go over Niagara Falls, and survived.
- July 4, 1930- George Stathakis tried in a barrel, but died.
- August 5, 1951- William "Red" Hill Jr. went over Niagara Falls in what he called, "A Thing". It was 13 inner tubes held together by fishnet. He died.
- July 15, 1961- William Fitzgerald went over the Falls in a 3 m(10ft) rubber ball. He survived, but was the first to be fined.
- July 3, 1984- Karel Soucek was the first Canadian to go over Niagara Falls. He used a steel barrel, insulated with liquid foam. He survived and was fined.
- Aug.18, 1985- Steven Trotter made his first trip over the Falls in 2 plastic pickle barrels, surrounded by innertubes. He survived and was fined.
- Oct.5, 1985- John "David" Munday made his first trip over Niagara Falls in a steel barrel. He tried to re-create his stunt on July 15, 1990, but got stuck at the brink of the Falls and had to be rescued. (Of coarse he was fined both times.)
- Sept. 27, 1989- Peter DeBernardi and Geoffrey Petkovich were the first "doubles" to conquer Niagara Falls in the same barrel. They survived and were fined.
- June 5, 1990- Jessie W. Sharp went over the Horseshoe Falls in a Kayak, as a stunt, and died.
- Sept 26, 1993- John "David" Munday recreated his stunt in a steel barrel, complete with getting a fine. He was the first to sucsessfully make it over Niagara Falls twice.
- June 18, 1995- Steven Trotter went over Niagara Falls again, this time with Lori Martin, in hot water tanks that were welded together. They survived and were fined.
- Oct. 1, 1995- Robert Overacker tried to ride his jet ski over the Falls as a stunt. He died.
- Oct.21, 2003- Kirk Jones climbed over the guard-rail and was swept over Niagara Falls. He became the second person to survive going over Niagara Falls without any protection, but was still fined.
- March 11, 2009- An unnamed man from Ontario survived a plunge over Niagara Falls.
In 1961, a new regulation stated that you can get fined for " a failure to attain a ceremonial permit from the Niagara Parks Commission, to perform an act which congregates or is likely to congregate persons, contrary to the regulations of the Niagara Parks act."
The Miracle of Niagara- the story of Roger Woodward
Roger Woodward was the first to survive an unintentional plunge over Niagara Falls without any protection.
On July 9, 1960, Jim Honeycott, from Michigan, took two of his co-workers' children for a ride in his small boat on the upper portion of the Niagara River. The boat capsized, and the three of them were carried downriver. 17 year old Deanne Woodward and 10 year old Roger Woodward were wearing life vests, but Jim was not. The current pulled Deanne close to the shore. John R Hays and John Quattrochi, both from New Jersey, jumped over the guard-rail and rescued Deanne from the river. Both Roger and Jim were swept over Niagara Falls. When Roger surfaced, the passengers on the Maid of the Mist boat ride spotted him. They threw Roger a life raft and pulled him aboard, unhurt. Jim was not so lucky, searchers found his body four days later.
The photo is of Roger being pulled onto the Maid of the Mist.
For some, "Over the Falls" has a different meaning.
The Great Blondin
Jean Francois Grauelet, "The Great Blondin", is famous for crossing over the Niagara River on a tightrope. Blondin first crossed the Niagara River Gorge on June 30, 1859. He made many trips across the Falls, in different theatrical ways. Blondin even crossed once carrying his managar on his back, and another time with his wife on his back. He once did the trip on stilts. A crowd favorite was to pull a grill out onto the center of the tightrope, cook breakfast, and lower it down to the passengers on the Maid of the Mist.
The first woman to tightrope over Niagara Falls was Maria Spelterina.
Maria crossed the Niagara River Gorge 4 times in July of 1876. The first time Maria made the trip was on July 8. She did it again 4 days later, this time with peach baskets strapped to her feet. On July 19, Maria crossed over Niagara Falls blindfolded, and on the 22nd with her ankles and wrists manacled.