Annie Edson Taylor

Born in Auburn, New York, Annie Edson Taylor worked as a teacher for many years and later lived in Bay City, Michigan. On October 24, 1901—her 63rd birthday—she became the first person known to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

Taylor planned the feat as a way to earn money and secure her future. The stunt succeeded, but the rewards she hoped for did not. She spent years trying to capitalize on her fame through lectures, souvenirs, and publicity, yet she struggled financially.

Her story remains striking because it combines showmanship, desperation, and determination. She is remembered not just as a daredevil, but as an older woman who carried out one of the most famous risk-filled acts in American popular history.