Annie Edson Taylor

First person to survive Niagara Falls barrel plunge, pioneering stunt safety

Annie Edson Taylor (1838-1921) made history on October 24, 1901, when the 63-year-old schoolteacher became the first person to survive a plunge over Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel. Her daring feat revolutionized safety standards for stunt performers and drew international attention to hydroelectric potential.

Taylor's 173-pound oak barrel design featured:

• Reinforced iron bands
• A custom leather harness
• Oxygen supply via rubber hose

Though financially unsuccessful, her engineering innovations influenced later daredevils. The 20-minute ordeal through 34-meter drops and 280,000-liter/second water flow demonstrated:

1. Practical applications of impact physics
2. Early pressure management systems
3. Public relations strategies for spectacle events

Taylor spent her later years lecturing about risk calculation and women's physical capabilities, challenging age and gender stereotypes in extreme sports.