Franz Reichelt, a French tailor, was obsessed with his idea of creating a wearable parachute suit for aviators who might be in danger. He called himself The Flying Tailor, and arranged to have a test run for his invention atop the Eiffel Tower on Feb. 4, 1912, promising to use a dummy. It turns out he did use a dummy – himself – and horrified onlookers watched as he strapped on the para-suit and promptly plunged to his death. Thanks to YouTube, his first and final jump has been preserved for all to watch.
Parachute Suit Test – Eiffel Tower Fail
