March 5, 1923 in New York history

📝 On This Day 📝

101 years ago on March 5th, 1923

"Human Fly" Harry F. Young falls to his death while climbing the Hotel Martinique as part of a movie promotion

The stunt was a promotion for the movie 'Safety Last!' starring Harold Lloyd, a comedic actor who performed a now famous stunt where the main character climbs a building and dangles from the hands of a large clock. In the movie, the daredevil effect was achieved via camera trickery so that it only looked like Harold Lloyd was hanging above a Los Angeles street. In reality, the film's producers hired Human Fly Harry Young to make a real climb without safety gear in New York ahead of the film's debut. In a photo that appeared in the Atlantic News Telegraph, Harry Young can be seen gripping the Martinique Hotel along Broadway at 32nd Street where it meets the neighboring building between the fourth and fifth floors. A crowd had gathered at Greeley Square across from Gimbels department store to watch his climb and witnessed his death when he his grip and fell ten stories.


References:

More events from March 5th in New York History


⏰ AGBC Rewind ⏰

5 years ago
AGBC News Episode 11: Times Square is Bombed, a Movie Stunt Gone Wrong, and 'Fearless Girl' Takes a Stand


🗒️ Calendar Events 🗒️

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🌎 World History 🌏

Library of Congress  •  New York Times  •  BBC  •  Wikipedia


🌞 Weather Records 🌞

Record High: 72°F in 1880
Record Low: 3°F in 1872


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