The Flying Wallendas is the name of a famous group of circus act and daredevil stunts performers, most known for performing death-defying stunts without a safety net. They were first known as The Great Wallendas, but the current name was coined by the press in the 40s and has stayed since. The name in their native German, "Die fliegenden Wallenda", is an obvious rhyme on the title of the Wagner opera, "Der fliegende Holländer" ("The Flying Dutchman"). Image File history File links Flying-wallendas. ...

Karl Wallenda was born in Magdeburg, Germany in 1905 to an old circus family, and began performing at the age of 6. While still in his teens he answered an ad for a hand balancer with courage. His employer, Louis Weitzman, taught him the trade. In 1922 Karl put together his own act with his brother Herman, Joseph Geiger, and a teenage girl, Helen Kreis, who eventually became his wife. Karl Wallenda (January 21, 1905 - March 22, 1978) was the founder of The Flying Wallendas, an internationally known daredevil circus act famous for performing death-defying stunts without a safety net. ... This article is about the German city. ... The Big Top of Billy Smarts Circus Cambridge 2004. ...

The act toured Europe for several years, performing some amazing stunts. When John Ringling saw them perform in Cuba, he quickly hired them to perform at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. In 1928, they debuted at the Madison Square Garden. The act performed without a net (it had been lost in transit) and the crowd gave them a standing ovation. World map showing the location of Europe. ... John Ringling (May 31, 1866 - December 2, 1936) was the most well-known and the most successful of the five Ringling brothers, who merged the Barnum & Bailey Circus with their own Ringling Brothers Circus to create a virtual monopoly of traveling circuses and helped shape the circus into what it... Ringling Bros. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

It was at a performance in Akron, Ohio that the group all fell in the wire, but were unhurt. The next day, a reporter who witnessed the accident stated in the newspaper, "The Wallendas fell so gracefully that it seemed as if they were flying", coining the name of The Flying Wallendas. Nickname: The Rubber Capital of the World Location within the state of Ohio Country United States State Ohio County Summit Founded 1825 Incorporated 1835 (village) - 1865 (city) Government  - Mayor Don Plusquellic (D) Area  - City  62. ...

In 1944, while performing in Hartford, Connecticut, a fire started that ended up killing over 168 people (see Hartford Circus Fire). None of the group was hurt. 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Nickname: Location in Hartford County, Connecticut Coordinates: , Country United States State Connecticut NECTA Hartford Region Capitol Region Named 1637 Incorporated (city) 1784 Consolidated 1896 Government  - Type Mayor-council  - Mayor Eddie Perez Area  - City  18. ... Tent on fire The Hartford Circus Fire, which occurred on July 6, 1944 in Hartford, Connecticut, was one of the worst fire disasters in the history of the United States. ...

The Flying Wallendas' 7 Person Pyramid

In the following years, Karl developed some of the most amazing acts like the seven-person chair pyramid. They continued performing those acts until 1962. That year, while performing at Detroit, Michigan, the front man on the wire faltered and the pyramid collapsed. Three men fell to the ground, killing two of them (Richard Faughnan, Wallenda's son-in-law, and nephew Dieter Schepp). Karl injured his pelvis, and his adopted son, Mario, was paralyzed from the waist down. Image File history File links Wallendas7. ... Image File history File links Wallendas7. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Location in Wayne County, Michigan Coordinates: , Country United States State Michigan County Wayne County Founded 1701 Incorporation 1806 Government  - Type Strong Mayor-Council  - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (D) Area  - City  143. ...

Other tragedies include when Wallenda's sister-in-law, Rietta, fell to her death in 1963, and his son-in-law Richard ("Chico") Guzman was killed in 1972 after touching a live wire in the rigging. Nonetheless, Karl decided to go on. He repeated the pyramid act in 1963 and 1977. Karl continued performing with a smaller group, and doing solo acts. Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ...

On March 22, 1978, during a promotional walk in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Karl Wallenda fell from the wire and died. He was 73 at the time. is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Nickname: Location of San Juan within the island of Puerto Rico Coordinates: Country United States Territory Puerto Rico Founded 1508/1521 Area  - City 76. ...

There are several branches of the Wallendas performing today, comprising mostly grandchildren of Karl Wallenda. They still perform regularly and have achieved recognition in the Guinness Book of Records. Karl Wallenda (January 21, 1905 - March 22, 1978) was the founder of The Flying Wallendas, an internationally known daredevil circus act famous for performing death-defying stunts without a safety net. ... Suresh Joachim, minutes away from breaking the ironing world record at 55 hours and 5 minutes, at Shoppers World, Brampton. ...

Some Family Members

• Richard Faughnan, Karl's son-in-law, was the husband of Jenny Wallenda. Faughnan fell 70 feet to his death on 30 January 1962 in Detroit, when the Seven-Man Pyramid collapsed.
• Richard "Chico" Guzman, Karl's son-in-law, was killed in 1972 when he touched a live wire in the rigging.
• Dieter Schepp, Karl's nephew, fell 70 feet to his death on 30 January 1962 in Detroit, when the Seven-Man Pyramid collapsed. Dieter, who was making his first appearance in the Seven, apparently lost his grip on the balance pole.
• Jana Schepp, Karl's niece and Dieter's sister, was one of the survivors of the 1962 disaster in Detroit.
• Angel Wallenda (20 March 1968 - 3 May 1996), born Elizabeth Pintye, married Steven Wallenda (Karl's grandnephew) in 1985, when she was 17, and began training on the wire. Soon, however, she became ill with cancer. In 1987 her right leg had to be amputated, and in 1988 parts of both lungs were removed. Nonetheless, later that year she returned to the act, becoming the only person with an artificial leg ever to walk a high wire. She gave her final performance in 1990. She and Steven divorced, and Angel married Adil Shaikh.
• Edith Wallenda (18 March 1913 - 21 October 1990), Herman's second wife, performed with the Great Wallendas for a quarter century before her retirement. After retirement from the high wire, she worked for ten years as an X-ray technician at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
• Gunther Herman Wallenda (25 June 1927 - 16 March 1996), Herman's son by his first wife, Elizabeth, began training on the wire at age five, though he was already part of the act. In the Hartford Circus Fire, he helped rescue a number of the spectators. When in 1962 the pyramid fell, Gunther was the only one left standing and was able to help rescue three who were clinging to the wire. That summer the troupe went to the theme park The Enchanted Forest of the Adirondacks to regroup and heal. While performing at the Enchanted Forest that summer and the summer of 1963, Gunther fell in love with Sheila Monahan (22 May 1936 – 15 July 2000). Sheila was a teacher who worked summers as the secretary to the park's general manager (and her brother-in-law). Sheila and Gunther married in the fall of 1963 and settled in Sarasota, Florida where Gunther returned to school. He graduated from high school, got a university degree, and became a history and geography teacher. While teaching in Sarasota, Gunther continued to train high-wire performers, most notably as part of the Sailor Circus, a Sarasota school fund-raiser.
• Helen (Kreis) Wallenda (11 December 1910 - 9 May 1996), Karl's second wife, was the last surviving member of the original troupe. She joined the Wallendas when she was 16. Helen and Karl Wallenda were married in 1935. Until she retired in 1956, she was balanced at the peak of the seven-man pyramid.
• Herman Wallenda (11 June 1901 – January 1985), Karl's brother, was one of the survivors of the 1962 disaster in Detroit.
• Karl Wallenda (21 January 1905 - 22 March 1978) was the founder and leader of the group until his death in San Juan in 1978.
• Mario Wallenda, Karl's adopted son, was paralyzed from the waist down on 30 January 1962 in Detroit, when the Seven-Man Pyramid collapsed. In the 1990s, Mario developed an act in which he would ride a two-wheeled electric "sky cycle" on the high wire.
• Tino Wallenda, Karl's grandson, started on the high wire at age seven. He is the family patriarch of the Flying Wallendas and is still performing (2006) the 7-Man Pyramid with his daughters and son, his brother-in-law Sascha Pavlata, son-in-law Robinson Cortes and family friend Jade Kindar-Martin.
• Olinka Wallenda, Tino's wife, is descended from the Valla Bertini circus family, and has been performing on the high wire with Tino since 1974. She and Tino have four children, all wirewalkers - Alida, Andrea, Aurelia and Alessandro (Alex).
• Mario B. Wallenda (6 November 1956 - 5 March 1993), Karl's grandson, learned to walk the tightrope at the age of two or three, but his specialty was riding his motorcycle inside the "Globe of Death". He tested positive for HIV in 1990 after collapsing after a performance in Canada. After his death from AIDS, his mother, Carla, said he wanted his cause of death made public.
• Rietta Wallenda, Karl's sister-in-law, fell to her death in 1963.
• Rietta Wallenda, Karl's granddaughter, has been performing since the age of 13. The only member of Karl's family who was performing with him at the time of his death, she performed in San Juan to a standing ovation five hours after her grandfather died.

is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... 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March 16 is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Tent on fire The Hartford Circus Fire, which occurred on July 6, 1944 in Hartford, Connecticut, was one of the worst fire disasters in the history of the United States. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 142nd day of the year (143rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cà dZan - a 1925 Sarasota residence that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places Sarasota is a city located on the central west coast of Florida, USA. Its official limits include Sarasota Bay and several barrier islands between the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. ... December 11 is the 345th day of the year (346th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Karl Wallenda (January 21, 1905 - March 22, 1978) was the founder of The Flying Wallendas, an internationally known daredevil circus act famous for performing death-defying stunts without a safety net. ... January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Nickname: Location of San Juan within the island of Puerto Rico Coordinates: Country United States Territory Puerto Rico Founded 1508/1521 Area  - City 76. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jade Kindar-Martin, born February 16, 1973, is a highwire walker and circus performer. ... November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the day. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Species Human immunodeficiency virus 1 Human immunodeficiency virus 2 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS, a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections). ... Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ...

References

• The Flying Wallendas - History - retrieved February 5, 2006

is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Tightrope walking

Tightrope walking is a spectacle activity usually performed for the amusement of an audience. ...

External links

• The Flying Wallendas Official Page