Philippe Petit

On 7 August 1974 Philippe Petit walked a wire between the two World Trade Center towers, about 417 metres up. He crossed eight times in 45 minutes without a safety line.

Context

Philippe Petit was a French high-wire artist who had already walked between the towers of Notre-Dame in Paris and over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. For the World Trade Center, he and his helpers prepared in secret for years. On the morning of 7 August 1974 they got into the buildings with disguises and equipment, and they rigged a steel cable between the rooftops of the two towers, which were then around 417 metres high.

Petit performed on the wire for roughly 45 minutes, making eight crossings. He walked, knelt, lay down and even greeted onlookers from the cable. Police were waiting at the end, and he was arrested. Charges were dropped on the condition that he give a free performance for children in Central Park, and he was reportedly given a lifetime pass to the observation deck.

The stunt was not authorised, and there was no safety net or harness. His story inspired the 2008 documentary 'Man on Wire' and a book by Petit about the preparations.

Details such as exact heights and the crossing count come from Petit's own account and press reports of the time, so small differences appear in different retellings.