When did the first person successfully go over Niagara Falls in a barrel?

Niagara Falls is actually a group of three waterfalls, each cool in its own way, but the biggest — Horseshoe Falls — is the one we all envision when you think of this natural landmark.

Horseshoe Falls is nearly 200 feet high, the most powerful waterfall in all of North America, and straddles the border between Canada and the United States. I’m not sure what about any of that makes people want to hop in a barrel, or anything else, and go over the edge.

On average, over 12 million people visit Niagara Falls State Park every year. I guess a few of them are brave enough, if that’s the right word, to try to get their names in the history books. Thousands of people have gone over the falls, either on purpose or not so much, but only a handful have survived. As for me, that math doesn’t really work out, but hey, people are going to try stupid stuff no matter what I say.

The trope of going over Niagara Falls in a barrel was created when someone actually did it. When did they pull off this daring feat?