On this day in 1901, Annie Edson Taylor, a 63-year-old school teacher, experienced the first barrel ride in the Niagara Falls.

In July 1901, Taylor was reading about the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. She learned about the popularity of the waterfalls located in the state. Searching for attention and fame, Taylor thought of something: She would go over the Niagara Falls strapped in a barrel. This was her great idea of an attention seeking stunt.

Taylor was not the first person to try to plunge into the Falls. In October 1829, Sam Patch survived jumping down the Horseshoe Falls of the Niagara River, on the Canadian side of the Falls. 70 years later, Taylor chose to take the ride of her life on her birthday. With a lot of support in the barrel to break the fall, Taylor was towed by a boat to the shore and cut loose. She was a bit battered even with all of the support in the barrel. After her 15 minutes of fame, Taylor did not make the money she was dreaming of, but she did inspire a lot of daredevils to do the same thing she did. No matter how you go into the Falls, it is still illegal, and the 10 daredevils faced charges afterwards their jumps.