The First Human Cannonball (1863 – 1937)
Rosa Richter was the first person to be launched out of a cannon. She got started in the business when she was 12 and began tightrope walking and other acrobatics. She was known as a daredevil and a “lawmaker,” as many of her stunts enacted laws to try and protect and stop performers since they were so dangerous. Her circus career ended when she fell from a 40-foot tall wire and landed on her hands and knees while a metal pole landed on her back. She broke her back and nearly died.