Annie Edson Taylor, a 63 year old widowed school teacher from Bay City, Michigan, has the distinction of being the first person on record to go over Niagara Falls. She attempted her feat in an oak barrel with a 100 lb. anvil at her feet to keep it upright, and she survived.

The first man to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel survived. Bobby Leach, originally from Cornwall, England, and then residing in Niagara Falls, New York, went over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls on July 25, 1911. Although he was in a strong, new steel barrel, he suffered scrapes, bruises and fractures, and was hospitalised for several months.

On July 11, 1920, the third person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel was Charles Stephens, a 58 year old barber from Bristol, England. He had a blacksmith’s anvil with him to use as a ballast. His goal was to become famous by surviving his daring stunt and traveling around with his barrel, giving lectures.

This 37 year old French Canadian originally from Quebec, but living in Naigara Falls, New York, went over the Falls in a big, rubber ball. Jean was a machinist and designed it himself. This 6 ft. (1.8 m) ball was constructed around 2 steel frame pieces, was lined with rubber inner tubes filled with air, and weighed over 1,000 lbs. (454 kg).

On July 4th, 1930, George Strathakis, a 46 year old chef from Buffalo, New York, went over Niagara Falls, with his pet turtle, Sonny, in a heavy reinforced oak barrel, weighing a ton.