French aerialist Philippe Petit performs for a crowd in Washington Square Park August 6, 2005 in New York City. Petit walked on a tightrope between the World Trade Center towers on August 7, 1974 and is performing over the weekend to mark the 31st anniversary of his walk.
Early one August morning in 1974, the fearless Philippe Petit ventured into the air a quarter mile above the streets of Manhattan, stepping onto a steel cable secured between the two World Trade Center towers. Not only was this stunt rather dangerous (clearly), it was also 100% illegal. He made the 130-foot journey between the towers eight times before police eventually coaxed him down. The 24-year-old, who began his career as a Paris street juggler, received so much public attention and positive feedback that all formal charges against him were dropped. There was one catch, though — in exchange for the clearing of his record, he had to perform his tightrope act for children in Central Park.
PHOTOS: High Wire Act