{"slug": "niagara-falls", "label": "Niagara Falls", "wikipedia": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls", "wikidata": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q34221", "qid": "Q34221", "description": "three waterfalls that straddle the international border between Canada and the United States", "entries": 7, "years": 6, "span": [1677, 1901], "span_label": ["1677 CE", "1901 CE"], "topics": [{"title": "Exploration & Expansion", "count": 4}, {"title": "Science & Discovery", "count": 1}, {"title": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "count": 1}, {"title": "Technology & Infrastructure", "count": 1}], "related": [{"slug": "mississippi-river", "label": "Mississippi River", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "rene-robert-cavelier-sieur-de-la-salle", "label": "René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "michigan", "label": "Michigan", "shared": 1}], "items": [{"year": 1677, "year_label": "1677 CE", "section": "Exploration & Expansion", "date": "December 7", "text": "December 7 – Father Louis Hennepin of Belgium, exploring North America, becomes the earliest known European person to discover Niagara Falls, and the first to report its existence. In his book A New Discovery of a Vast Country in America, published in 1698, Hennepin writes \"Betwixt the lakes Ontario and Eire there is a vast prodigious Cadence of water which falls down after a surprising and astonishing manner, inasmuch that the Universe does not afford its parallel.\"", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1360727449#October–December", "title": "1677", "revid": 1360727449, "section": "Events › October–December"}}, {"year": 1679, "year_label": "1679 CE", "section": "Exploration & Expansion", "date": "December 3", "text": "December 3 – French explorers René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (commonly called \"La Salle\") and Henri de Tonti set off from their fort near Niagara Falls in North America on the first European expedition to explore the upper Mississippi River.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1366669253#October–December", "title": "1679", "revid": 1366669253, "section": "Events › October–December"}}, {"year": 1840, "year_label": "1840 CE", "section": "Science & Discovery", "date": null, "text": "The first known photograph of Niagara Falls, a daguerreotype, is taken by English chemist Hugh Lee Pattinson.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1360387586#Date_unknown", "title": "1840", "revid": 1360387586, "section": "Events › Date unknown"}}, {"year": 1859, "year_label": "1859 CE", "section": "Exploration & Expansion", "date": "June 30", "text": "June 30 – Charles Blondin crosses Niagara Falls on a tightrope for the first time.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371179353#April–June", "title": "1859", "revid": 1371179353, "section": "Events › April–June"}}, {"year": 1885, "year_label": "1885 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "April 30", "text": "April 30 – A bill is signed in the New York State legislature, forming the Niagara Falls State Park.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1366156062#April", "title": "1885", "revid": 1366156062, "section": "Events › April"}}, {"year": 1885, "year_label": "1885 CE", "section": "Technology & Infrastructure", "date": "July 15", "text": "July 15 – The Reservation at Niagara Falls opens, enabling access to all for free. Thomas V. Welch is the first Superintendent of the Park.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1366156062#July", "title": "1885", "revid": 1366156062, "section": "Events › July"}}, {"year": 1901, "year_label": "1901 CE", "section": "Exploration & Expansion", "date": "October 24", "text": "October 24 – Michigan schoolteacher Annie Edson Taylor goes over Niagara Falls in a barrel and survives.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373318021#October", "title": "1901", "revid": 1373318021, "section": "Events › October"}}]}