History's greatest daredevils: A slideshow
An Austrian skydiver is preparing to fall from space, continuing a long tradition of insane bravery that includes somersaulting cars and vertiginous tightrope-walking
By The Week Staff | September 26, 2012
History's greatest daredevils: A slideshow
Jay Nemeth/Red Bull via Getty Images
O
n October 8, Felix Baumgartner of Austria plans to use a helium balloon to ascend more than 22 miles above the earth's surface — technically into space — and jump down. The extreme skydiver hopes to break the record for the highest sky dive, and become the first man to exceed the speed of sound with his body. Baumgartner's stunt is just the latest in a colorful history of daredevilry. Here, a guide to the greatest daredevils ever:
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