Page 28 - All About History 48 - 2017 UK

DAREDEVILS

Hall of Fame

FEARLESS THRILL-SEEKERS

From intrepid tightrope walkers to pioneering skydivers, meet the

adrenaline junkies behind some of history’s most daring spectacles

FLAMMA MARIA SPELTERINI ITALIAN 1853-1912

SYRIAN UNKNOWN The first and only woman to tightrope walk across
Most Roman the Niagara Falls was 23-year-old Maria Spelterini.
gladiators were She completed her first walk on 8 July 1876,
slaves, forced crossing a six-centimetre-thick wire while watched
to fight for by onlookers from a suspension bridge. She went
entertainment and on to cross the falls four more times that month,
Flamma was a secutor, only freed when once while wearing peach baskets on her feet,
a type of gladiator who awarded the rudis another while blindfolded and another with her
fought with a small sword
– a small wooden ankles and wrists in shackles.
sword. Flamma was no exception, but although Spelterini
he was awarded the rudis four times, he chose to performed Evel
her stunts as Garnerin’s highest
continue fighting. Of his 34 bouts, he won 21, lost Knievel holds
part of the US’s jump was from almost
four and drew nine, making him one of the most first centennial 2,500 metres
successful gladiators in history. After a 13-year celebrations the Guinness World
career,hediedinbattleattheageof 30. Record for the most
bones broken in a
EVEL KNIEVEL AMERICAN 1938-2007 lifetime. He suffered
Apossiblemonthinacomawithafractured a total of 433 bone
skull, broken pelvis, broken hips and broken ribs
wasjustthebeginningforEvelKnievel,afterhis fractures
motorcycle came crashing down from a jump over
theCaesarsPalacefountaininLasVegas.Thatfirstmajor
stunt performed in 1967 horrified and amazed onlookers, propelling Robert
Knievel from a petty thief to the celebrity daredevil in red, white and blue.
Hewentontoperformmorethan75jumps,shatteringevenmorebones,
before finally hanging up his jumpsuit and helmet in 1977.

Knievel attempted to jump over busses,
sharks and canyons on his
motorcycle

ANDRÉ-JACQUES GARNERIN
FRENCH 1769-1823
While dreaming up ways to escape prison
during the French Revolutionary Wars,
Garnerin came up with the idea of using air
resistance to slow a fall. After his release, he
put his theory into practice, building the first
parachute out of white canvas attached to a
basket. He tested his new invention by leaping
from a hydrogen-filled balloon 1,000 metres in
the air in 1797. He landed unhurt and went on
to complete more than 200 jumps.

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