October 24, 1901

Annie Edson Taylor makes the plunge on what was her 63rd birthday. She had tested the barrel by sending it over the falls with a cat inside. The cat survived. Taylor used a custom-made barrel, constructed of oak and iron and padded with a mattress. After the lid was screwed on, a bicycle tire pump was used to compress the air in the barrel. Except for a small gash on her head, she was unharmed in her adventure.