At 63 years old, Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to survive a plunge over Niagara Falls in a barrel. What began as a bold bid for fame ended in tragedy. Her story is one of daring, survival, and the high price of history.

Meet Bobby Leach — the daredevil who made history as the first man to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel. On July 25, 1911, he plunged over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls in a specially built steel barrel. He lived to tell the tale… but not without broken bones, months in the hospital, and a story that still amazes Niagara Falls visitors.

On July 11, 1920, the third person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel was Charles Stephens, a 58 year old barber from Bristol, England. He had a blacksmith’s anvil with him to use as a ballast. His goal was to become famous by surviving his daring stunt and traveling around with his barrel, giving lectures.

This 37 year old French Canadian originally from Quebec, but living in Naigara Falls, New York, went over the Falls in a big, rubber ball. Jean was a machinist and designed it himself. This 6 ft. (1.8 m) ball was constructed around 2 steel frame pieces, was lined with rubber inner tubes filled with air, and weighed over 1,000 lbs. (454 kg).

On July 4th, 1930, George Strathakis, a 46 year old chef from Buffalo, New York, went over Niagara Falls, with his pet turtle, Sonny, in a heavy reinforced oak barrel, weighing a ton.

On August 5, 1951, William “Red” Hill Jr. went over Niagara Falls in a contraption called “The Thing”. His flimsy contraption consisted of 13 truck tire inner tubes, held together with fish net and canvas straps.

On the morning of July 15th, 1961, William Fitzgerald, also known as Nathan Boya, a 29 year old went over Niagara Falls. He used a 544 kg (1200 lb) ball, 3 m (10 foot) in diameter, which he named “The Plunge-O-Sphere”. It had a steel frame covered with rubber.

Karel Soucek, A 30 year old from Hamilton, Ontario went over Niagara Falls in a bright red barrel with the words "Last of Niagara's Daredevils" and his name on it. His 2.7 meter (9 ft) long, 1.5 m (5 ft) diameter cylinder shaped barrel was insulated with liquid foam.

Steven Trotter, from Rhode Island, was the youngest person to challenge Niagara Falls, at 22 years old on the morning of August 18, 1985. He used a homemade contraption consisting of two plastic pickle barrels lined inside with foam packing and surrounded outside with large inner tubes covered by a tarp. He survived to stunt with minor bruises.

2 months before he succeeded in an attempt to go over Niagara Falls, David Munday tried on July 28, 1985, but was stopped by the Niagara Parks police. They stopped him in the river above the falls in a hydro power pool and fined him $503. They warned him that another attempt could come with 30 days in jail and $1000 fine.

On Wednesday September 27, 1989 Peter DeBernardi, 42 years old, from Niagara Falls, Ontario and Jeffrey Petkovich, 24 years old, from Ottawa, became the first to go over Niagara Falls together in the same barrel.

On June 5, 1990 Jesse Sharp attempted to ride his polyurthane kayak over Niagara Falls. The 28 year old from Ocoee, Tennessee wasn't experienced whitewater kayaker. His 3. 6 m (12 ft), 16 kg (36 lb) kayak was named “Rapidman”.

Shortly after noon on October 1, 1995, Robert Overacker challenged Niagara Falls on a jet ski. The 39 year old from Camarillo, California went over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. He carried a parachute strapped to his back. At the brink, he attempted to discharge the rocket propelled device, but it didn't work.

On October 20th 2003, Kirk Raymond Jones became the first human in recorded history to intentionally go over the Horseshoe Falls wearing just his clothes and survive. Remarkably, he did this without any protective device or life jacket.

On March 11, 2009, a Canadian in his mid-thirties went over the guardrail and waded into the freezing cold Niagara River. He was swept over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. The force of the current tore his clothes off. He was spotted naked below Niagara Falls, in the dangerous churning river water.

It was a sunny afternoon on July 9th, 1960 when what became known as the "Miracle of Niagara" took place. 40 year old Jim Honeycutt from Michigan invited his coworkers two children to go with him for a boat ride.

Jean Francois Gravelet, better known as the "Great Blondin" was born on 28 February 1824 at St Omer, Pas­de­Calais, France.

The only woman to cross the Niagara River gorge on tightrope Maria Spelterina.

More recently, 33 year old Nik Wallenda did the tightrope walk across the Niagara River Gorge on June 15th, 2012. He crossed at the widest part of the river, close to the Horseshoe Falls, from Goat Island in the US to the Canadian side. This is the closest any tightrope walker has gotten to Niagara Falls.

Captain Mathew Webb is famous for his swimming abilities. At 12 years old, Matthew Webb enrolled as a sea cadet on the naval training ship, the HMS Conway in Liverpool, England. As he became an experienced sailor, he also became a very good swimmer.

On August 22, 1886, William J. Kendall, a policeman from Boston Mass. Became the first person to swim the Whirlpool Rapids and live. He wore only his swimming trunks and a cork life preserver. He suffered only minor cuts and bruises, but generally was unharmed.