{"id":6445,"date":"2021-10-24T07:05:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-24T05:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.historyextra.com\/?p=189254"},"modified":"2021-10-24T07:17:07","modified_gmt":"2021-10-24T05:17:07","slug":"24-october-on-this-day-in-history","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/rss_feed\/24-october-on-this-day-in-history\/","title":{"rendered":"24 October: On this day in history"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Dominic Sandbrook\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 24 October 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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24 October 1901: Annie Edson Taylor conquers Niagara Falls<\/h3>\n
A 63-year-old woman travels over the falls in a barrel\u2026 and lives to tell the tale<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
When planning birthday celebrations, a ride in a barrel over Niagara Falls is probably furthest from most people\u2019s minds.<\/p>\n
But that was precisely how Annie Edson Taylor spent her 63rd birthday, which fell on 24 October 1901. Broke, and facing life in the poorhouse, Annie made a last desperate gamble. She would become the first person to travel over North America\u2019s most celebrated waterfalls in a barrel.<\/p>\n