The 'unbelievably insane' tightrope walker who crossed Niagara Falls

The scion of one of America's most famous acrobatic families, the Flying Wallendas, accomplishes a lifelong dream — and makes history

Nik Wallenda crosses Niagara Falls
(Image credit: John Moore/Getty Images)

American Nik Wallenda is now the first person to walk across Niagara Falls on a high wire. (See a video of the bold stunt below). The hair-raising walk, viewed by more than 100,000 people on the scene late Friday night and millions more on TV, marked the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for the 33-year-old daredevil. How did he do it? Here, a guide to the extreme, history-making feat:

Who is this guy?

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