- OCTOBER IS A MONTH
THAT HAS A LOT OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE.
THERE ARE BIG EVENTS THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT.
THERE'S HALLOWEEN, COLUMBUS DAY,
THE TOYOTA-THON.
BUT TODAY, I THOUGHT I'D TEACH YOU ABOUT SOMETHING
THAT HAPPENED IN OCTOBER THAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT.
IT'S THE STORY OF ANNIE TAYLOR.
DO YOU KNOW WHO ANNIE TAYLOR IS, WAS?
THAT'S ANNIE TAYLOR. SHE'S THE ONE ON THE LEFT.
AND SHE--
[laughter]
ON OCTOBER 24, 1901,
SHE WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO GO OVER NIAGARA FALLS
IN A BARREL,
WHICH MEANS THERE WERE OTHERS AFTER HER.
[laughter]
BUT THE STORY IS FASCINATING,
AND IT'S REALLY-- IT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
THAT'S WHY IT'S THE SUBJECT OF TODAY'S
"TRUE STORIES OF HISTORY AS TOLD BY YOURS TRULY."
DID YOU KNOW THE FIRST PERSON TO GO OVER NIAGARA FALLS
WAS NOT A MAN, BUT A WOMAN?
IF YOU WERE LISTENING TO ELLEN'S MONOLOGUE,
YOU'D KNOW THAT'S TRUE.
HER NAME WAS ANNIE EDSON TAYLOR.
ANNIE WAS A GREAT LOVER OF MUSIC...
[hip-hop music plays]
AND DANCING, OF COURSE.
BUT WITH HER SAVINGS DWINDLING,
ANNIE WAS A LOOKING FOR A WAY TO MAKE A QUICK BUCK.
THEN WHILE READING A NEWSPAPER,
SHE SAW SOMETHING THAT CAUGHT HER ATTENTION.
- "STRIPPERS NEEDED."
- NO.
- "NIAGARA FALLS."
$500!
- IF SHE CAN GO OVER THE FALLS IN A BARREL AND SURVIVE,
IT WOULD BRING HER FAME AND FORTUNE.
ANNIE PICKED OCTOBER 24TH FOR THE DATE.
SHE CLAIMED THAT IT WAS HER 40TH BIRTHDAY,
ALTHOUGH SHE WAS ACTUALLY 63,
BUT SOMEHOW PEOPLE BELIEVED HER.
TWO ASSISTANTS HELPED HARNESS ANNIE
INTO AN OLD WOODEN PICKLE BARREL,
ALONG WITH A FEW OTHER GOOD-LUCK CHARMS.
AS THE BARREL WENT THROUGH THE WATER,
THE RAPIDS KNOCKED HER SIDE TO SIDE.
THEN SHE WENT OVER THE 175-FOOT FALLS.
- [screaming]
[screaming]
- AS THEY OPENED THE BARREL, AN ONLOOKER SHOUTED,
"IT'S A MIRACLE! SHE'S ALIVE."
ANNIE EMERGED WITH A SMALL BUMP ON HER HEAD
TO CHEERING ONLOOKERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS.
WHILE SHE NEVER GOT ANY FINANCIAL GAIN
FROM THE STUNT...
[dejected musical flourish]
ANNIE TAYLOR'S ACHIEVEMENT LIVES ON
AS ONE OF THE TRUE STORIES OF HISTORY
AS TOLD BY YOURS TRULY.
[cheers and applause]