Who is Philippe Petit? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

French Celebrities Born In August

Age: 75 Years, 75 Year Old Males

Family:

father: Edmond Petit

siblings: Alain Petit

children: Cordia Gypsy

French Men

Ancestry: French American

More Facts

awards: James Parks Morton Interfaith Award

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1

What did Philippe Petit famously do in 1974?

Philippe Petit famously performed a high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City on August 7, 1974.
2

How did Philippe Petit plan his high-wire walk between the Twin Towers?

Philippe Petit meticulously planned his high-wire walk between the Twin Towers by studying the buildings, conducting secret reconnaissance missions, and enlisting a team to help him execute the daring act.
3

What inspired Philippe Petit to become a high-wire artist?

Philippe Petit was inspired to become a high-wire artist after seeing a picture of the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which sparked his interest in tightrope walking and led him to pursue it as a career.
4

How did Philippe Petit's high-wire walk impact his life?

Philippe Petit's high-wire walk between the Twin Towers brought him international fame and recognition as a daring and skilled performer, shaping his legacy as one of the greatest tightrope walkers in history.
5

How did Philippe Petit's high-wire walk between the Twin Towers influence the world?

Philippe Petit's high-wire walk between the Twin Towers captivated the world and inspired many people with its audacity and beauty, leaving a lasting impact on the fields of performance art and human achievement.

Childhood & Early Life

Philippe Petit was born on 13 August 1949 in Nemours, Seine - et - Marne, France. His father, Edmond Petit, was an Army pilot and author. Young Petit was influenced by his father and took to outdoor activities. He loved rock climbing and learnt how to juggle and perform magic by the age of six.

At the age of 16 he was influenced by the Czech aerialist, Rudy Omankowsky, from whom he learnt how to rig a wire and started tightrope walking. He did not take long to learn how to do a somersault and ride a cycle on a wire. He was not good in academics and had to drop out of school at the age of 18. However, his talent was enough to get him an audience on the streets of his hometown.

He mastered a few other stunts and one fine day in Jun 1971, he secretly erected a cable between two towers in the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris at a height of 223 feet and walked on it juggling balls while he covered the distance between the two towers. A crowd gathered below and applauded his effort, while a church service was in progress inside the cathedral.

He was 18 years old when he learnt about the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in Manhattan and made it his dream walk on a cable between the two towers. He started gathering information about the towers and began preparing himself for the feat.

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Career

Petit started by doing tightrope walking performances and magic shows in the parks of New York. He became a known personality to New Yorkers for his shows in the Washington Square Park.

While he planned for his dream of walking the tight rope between the twin towers, he continued making several other performances. In 1973, he walked on a wire between the two North pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.

Petit’s dream came true on August 7, 1974 when he walked on a cable between the towers of the World Trade Centre. He performed for 45 minutes, almost quarter of a mile above the ground. He made a total of eight passes over the cable during which he walked, danced, lay down and saluted from a kneeling position.

His performance has been called the artistic crime of the century. He was arrested for criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct after his performance but later he was set free by the mayor of New York, since he proclaimed to be an artist and not a daredevil stunt man.

His achievement received wide media coverage and brought the twin towers into the lime light. Charges of trespassing were dropped against him in exchange for a free performance for children at the Central Park.

In 1986, he re-enacted the French tightrope walker, Blondin’s walk across the Niagara River for a film. Due to his celebrity status, he was invited to walk on an inclined wire from the ground at the Place du Trocadero to the second level of the Eiffel Tower, crossing the Seine River, to mark the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution.

He briefly worked with the Ringling Brothers Circus but preferred to give his solo performances. He has conducted a number of workshops on a variety of subjects and written a number of books. His unfinished dream is to walk on a steel cable across the Grand Canyon. However, it has not yet fructified due to the large distance involved.

Major Works

Petit is best known for tightrope walking between the twin towers of the World Trade Centre.

He has also written a number of books including ‘A Square Peg’ and the e’book, ‘Cheating the Impossible: Ideas and Recipes from a Rebellious High – Wire Artist’.

Awards & Achievements

Petit has been honoured with several awards. Some of these are The James Park Morton Interfaith Award, Streb Action Maverick Award and the Byrcliffe Award.

Personal Life & Legacy

He divides his time between New York City, where he is an artist in residence at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine and a hideaway in the Catskill Mountains, where he lives with his partner, Kathy O’Donnell. He has a daughter named Cordia Gypsy.

Facts About Philippe Petit

Philippe Petit, the famous high-wire artist known for his daring stunts, once walked a tightrope between the towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

In addition to his high-wire performances, Petit is also an accomplished magician and street performer.

Petit is a skilled juggler and has incorporated juggling into many of his high-wire acts.

He has written several books about his experiences as a tightrope walker, sharing his insights and techniques with aspiring performers.

Petit is known for his playful and charismatic personality, often charming audiences with his wit and humor during his performances.

Philippe Petit Biography

You wanted to know

What did Philippe Petit famously do in 1974?

How did Philippe Petit plan his high-wire walk between the Twin Towers?

What inspired Philippe Petit to become a high-wire artist?

How did Philippe Petit's high-wire walk impact his life?

How did Philippe Petit's high-wire walk between the Twin Towers influence the world?