The first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel was Annie Edson Taylor, a 63-year-old schoolteacher, on October 24, 1901. Two days before her own historic plunge, she tested her custom-made oak and iron barrel by sending a domestic cat (later nicknamed "Niagara") over the Horseshoe Falls. Contrary to rumors that the cat died, it survived the 170-foot drop and was found alive 17 minutes later with only a small gash on its head. Annie then successfully completed the stunt herself on her 63rd birthday, becoming a world celebrity. Despite her survival, she famously warned, "No one ought ever to do that again." For 2026 travelers visiting the Niagara Falls Museum, the story of Annie and her "lucky" cat remains the most enduring legend of the "Queen of the Mist" and the era of the Niagara daredevils.
The Niagara River is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the river's name.