Annie Edson Taylor knew this eternal truth: When life kicks you around, you can either give up, or you can attempt an unprecedented death-defying stunt instead. She chose the second. A New York-born schoolteacher, Taylor had suffered the deaths of her infant son and husband in short succession during the Civil War, which left her not only with a world of grief, but the need to take care of herself. She moved between towns and jobs, before a boat ride one day convinced her she should ride over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Folks, I don't know how to make that narrative transition work, so you're just going to have to accept it.

She might have been seeking thrills and fame, but more likely is that she just wanted to find some financial security for her later years. A custom-made barrel was constructed for the occasion, made of oak and iron and padded with a mattress. After a cat survived a pilot trip by the barrel over Horseshoe Falls, Annie took her turn. A leather harness held her in place, and 113 years ago, on October 24, 1901, Annie Taylor, on her 63rd birthday, became the first person to survive the 17-story drop over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

Now you might ask yourself exactly why this is an anniversary worth celebrating. I would submit that Annie Taylor's daring spirit, and her refusal to accept the quiet role expected of a woman in her time, were noble traits. And if that doesn't convince you, then just celebrate that she survived at all (albeit with a bleeding head wound when she was recovered).

For the record, Taylor showed no interest in attempting the plunge again. She told the press "If it was with my dying breath, I would caution anyone against attempting the feat... I would sooner walk up to the mouth of a cannon, knowing it was going to blow me to pieces than make another trip over the Fall." However, she seemed to soften her stance on this later, as she never gave up her attempts to get rich. She made money taking photographs with tourists, and briefly talked about going over the Falls again. (She never did.) She died at 82 years old in 1921.

Taylor was one of the fortunate ones. At least five people have died going over Niagara Falls, in conveyances less secure than Annie Taylor's barrel. (Some of the fatal plunges have happened in canoes and on jet skis.) The jump is also illegal these days, so if you do manage to survive, expect to find some criminal charges and a steep fine awaiting you on the ground, whether you land in Canada or the United States.

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