Page 16 - All About History 48 - 2017 UK

DAREDEVILS

Daredevils across history

Death-defying CHINESE ACROBATS THE EMPEROR GLADIATOR LAND DIVING
The acrobats of the Han Dynasty Many gladiators are slaves forced to fight, but Men of the Bunlap tribe of
feats, amazing perform amazing stunts to music foolhardy Emperor Commodus believes he is Pentecost Island start the coming-
endurance and and incorporate everyday objects the incarnation of Hercules and puts himself of-age ritual of land diving. Vines are
tied to their ankles and they jump
into the gladiatorial amphitheatre, battling
like ladders into their acts. Troops
crazy stunts travel and entertain in the streets. both men and beasts. from various levels of a rickety tall
tower, built from wood and vines.
have wowed
audiences for

millennia

206 BCE 180 C.500

BARNSTORMING HEYDAY THE OVER THE

War-veteran pilots take to the skies to GREAT NIAGARA
perform incredible mid-air stunts like
jumping from plane-to-plane without HOUDINI FALLS
tethers, touring the USA in aerial circuses
Legendary In an attempt to
and giving biplane joyrides.
illusionist Harry garner fame and
Houdini premieres fortune, 63-year-
his Chinese water old schoolteacher
torture stunt in Annie Edson
Berlin, Germany. Taylor becomes
Houdini’s ankles the first person
arelockedinstocks to survive a trip
andheislowered, over Niagara Falls
upside down, into a contained in a
tank of water. wooden barrel.

1920S 1912 1901

DESCENT TO THE DEPTHS KNIEVEL’S BIG JUMP SUSPENSION BRIDGE BUNGEE

Bathyscaphe ‘Trieste’ descends The notorious daredevil Evel Knievel Members of the Oxford University Dangerous Sports
10,911 METRES makes his most impressive motorcycle Club perform the world’s first bungee jump off the
Clifton suspension bridge in Bristol, wearing top hats
jump yet, clearing 40.5 metres over 14
to the deepest place in the ocean, the Challenger Deep Greyhound buses in front of a crowd at and tails. The jumpers are arrested but released.
Kings Island theme park in Ohio, USA.
The bathyscaphe has
GAS Themenstayed
onthebottom
12TANKS to balance buoyancy atChallengerDeep,
whichisdeeperthan
Jacques Piccard and Donald Walsh are MountEverestistall,
on board, and the descent takes for20minutes.
45
4 HOURSMINUTES

1960 1975 1979

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