Niagara: Daredevils, Danger & Extraordinary Stories

Niagara is rich with fascinating stories, from daredevils to heroics. From the horrors during the War of 1812, to murder, to technological innovation and the birth of the modern tourist industry, Niagara has seen it all: In 1901, Annie Taylor was the first person to go over the falls in a barrel…and survive. It is said that the former Houdini Hall of Fame was cursed by the dead escape artist himself, and that he was responsible for its demise. For two weeks in 1952, Niagara Falls shared the spotlight with another attraction, Hollywood starlet Marilyn Monroe. Maria Spelterini was the first and only woman to cross Niagara on a tightrope…and then she disappears from history. Adulterer Arthur Hoyt Day decided to rid himself of one wife by throwing her into the Niagara gorge; he paid the ultimate price for his crime. Nikola Tesla, an eccentric but brilliant inventor, tamed the falls and revolutionized electricity forever. In 1913, a barge ran aground at the precipice of the falls, creating a landmark and a tale of heroic rescue that endures to this day. And so much more…