Photo credit: U.S. Air Force Museum
First (and only) man to reach the speed of sound without an aircraft
On August 16, 1960, Air Force Captain Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr., jumped from an open balloon gondola at 102,800 feet, breaking the sound barrier with his body as he descended. The jump, which lasted 13 minutes, 45 seconds and included a four-minute, 37-second freefall, set a world high-altitude parachute-jump record that stands to this day.
The jump was undertaken to help the Air Force determine whether crew members could parachute safely from disabled aircraft flying in the stratosphere. And yes, even at that early date, the jump was captured on film. To see amazing footage of this remarkable achievement visit Google Video.