Owen J. Quinn

Owen J. Quinn (born 1941 in the Bronx, New York) is an American man who was the first person to successfully parachute off one of the World Trade Center towers, on July 22, 1975.[1]

Early life

In an interview with C. J. Sullivan of the New York Press, Quinn claims that his first memories were of "how it all got bad very quick".[2] His mother grew sick and was hospitalized for a long stretch of time and finances for the family were low, so his father had to place him and his sister in an orphanage for six years. Later on, when his mother got well, the family moved to Highbridge together. Even though things were looking up, they were still tough. Quinn got into trouble running the streets of Highbridge and hated school, so he began working at 15.

After traveling the world (twice), getting married in 1962, and a tour of duty with the Merchant Navy in Vietnam in 1966, Quinn decided to settle down after his first child was born, and went into construction. He soon got a job with the dock builders' union, working at the World Trade Center (WTC). He claims to have been inspired after seeing a model of the WTC, not paying much attention to the grandness of such an architectural achievement, but the great BASE jumping opportunity that it offered. By that time, Quinn had extensive experience with parachuting; he stated in an interview that "When I did it I loved it. I thought, when I die this is what I want to be doing."[2]

The jump

On July 22, 1975, with his friend Mike Sergio, Quinn disguised himself as a construction worker and hid his parachute in a duffel bag (covered with tools) and made his way up the North Tower of the World Trade Center. They were met by a security guard, and while Sergio distracted him, Quinn continued toward the roof and got into his parachute. Quinn says he "stepped back about 15 feet and ran fast right to the end". Sergio shot a picture and called it "The Point of No Return". Quinn wore a blue football jersey with the biblical verse, Matthew 19:26: "But Jesus beheld them and said unto them, with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible".

When he landed, he was arrested by Port Authority Police and taken for psychiatric exams at two different hospitals, Elmhurst Hospital and St. Vincent's. While he was in the hospital, he told reporters that he jumped to draw attention the plight of the poor. “If people decided not to eat once a month and to send the money to the needy poor, then it would help the situation,” he said.[3] When it was concluded that he was in fact sane, he was booked and charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct, and reckless endangerment.[3] Within the course of a year, Quinn made 19 appearances in court, but the case was eventually dropped.

On June 22, 1977, Quinn appeared on the game show To Tell The Truth.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ Geoff Craighead (July 15, 2009). "Daredevils, Protestors and Suicides". High-Rise Security and Fire Life Safety. Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 116. ISBN 9780080877853. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Quoting from: Gillespie, Angus K. "Twin Towers: the Life of New York City's World Trade Center." Rutgers University Press, 1999
  2. ^ a b Sullivan, C.J. (28 May 2002). "Twin Tower Fall". New York Press. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Dembart, Lee (July 23, 1975). "Queens Skydiver Leaps Safely From Roof of the Trade Center". The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  4. ^ "YouTube full episode of To Tell The Truth, featuring Owen Quinn". Youtube.com. 2010-09-15. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  • Gillespie, Angus K. "Twin Towers: the Life of New York City's World Trade Center." Rutgers University Press 1999. ISBN 9780813527420

Read other articles:

Kesadaran hewan

Menurut Deklarasi Kesadaran Cambridge, tingkat kesadaran yang hampir seperti manusia telah diamati dalam spesies kakatua abu-abu Afrika.[1] Kesadaran hewan adalah kesadaran diri pada hewan atau rasa sadar akan luar atau sesuatu di dalam dirinya sendiri.[2][3] Kesadaran dalam manusia telah didefinisikan sebagai rasa sadar, subjektivitas, qualia, kemampuan untuk mengalami atau merasakan, keberadaan konsep diri, atau sistem kendali budi.[4] Meskipun sulit didefini...

 

محمد مختار جمعة

محمد مختار جمعة مبروك وزير الأوقاف في المنصب16 يوليو 2013 – حتى الآن الرئيس عدلي منصور، عبد الفتاح السيسي رئيس الوزراء حازم الببلاوي، إبراهيم محلب، شريف إسماعيل، مصطفى مدبولي طلعت عفيفي   معلومات شخصية الميلاد 1966 (العمر 57–58)قرية صفط راشين، مركز ببا، محافظة بني سويف[1&...

 

Lady General Hua Mu-lan

1964 Hong Kong musical film This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Lady General Hua Mu-lan – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Lady General Hua Mu-lan (Hua Mu Lan)The 1964 Hong Kong theatrical poster.Directed byYueh FengProduced byRun Run ShawS...

Chennakeshava Temple, Somanathapura

13th-century Hoysala Hindu temple in south Mysuru Drisict Karnataka Chennakesava Temple(ಶ್ರೀ ಚೆನ್ನಕೇಶವ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ)Chennakesava temple at Somanathpura (also spelled Kesava temple, Somnathpur)ReligionAffiliationHinduismDeityKeshava (Vishnu)LocationLocationSomanathapura, Karnataka, IndiaShown within IndiaShow map of IndiaChennakeshava Temple, Somanathapura (Karnataka)Show map of KarnatakaGeographic coordinates12°16′32.49″N 76°52′53.95″E /...

 

2020–21 Egyptian Premier League

Football league seasonEgyptian Premier LeagueSeason2020–21Dates11 December 2020 – 28 August 2021ChampionsZamalek13th titleRelegatedWadi DeglaEl Entag El HarbyAswanChampions League[a]ZamalekAl AhlyConfederation Cup[b]PyramidsAl MasryMatches played306Goals scored765 (2.5 per match)Top goalscorerMohamed Sherif(21 goals)Biggest home winPyramids 6–0 Ghazl El Mahalla(28 August 2021)Biggest away winMisr Lel Makkasa 0–5 Pyramids(25 August 2021)Highest scoringNational Bank...

 

Silifke Castle

Silifke CastleSilifke, Mersin Province, Turkey Silifke CastleCoordinates36°22′35″N 33°54′56″E / 36.37639°N 33.91556°E / 36.37639; 33.91556TypeFortressSite informationOpen tothe publicYesConditionLarge sections of walls are still standing.Site historyBuilt byByzantine EmpireDemolishedPartially Silifke Castle (Turkish: Silifke kalesi) is a medieval castle in Turkey. Geography The castle is in Silifke district of Mersin Province. It is situated ...

Египтопитек

† Египтопитек Реконструкция внешнего вида египтопитека Научная классификация Домен:ЭукариотыЦарство:ЖивотныеПодцарство:ЭуметазоиБез ранга:Двусторонне-симметричныеБез ранга:ВторичноротыеТип:ХордовыеПодтип:ПозвоночныеИнфратип:ЧелюстноротыеНадкласс:Четвероно...

 

Cesare Fantoni

Cesare FantoniFantoni pada 1954Lahir(1905-01-01)1 Januari 1905Bologna, ItaliaMeninggal15 Januari 1963(1963-01-15) (umur 58)Roma, ItaliaPekerjaanPemeran, pengisi suaraTahun aktif1939–1962AnakSergio Fantoni Cesare Fantoni (1 Januari 1905 – 15 Januari 1963) adalah seorang pemeran dan pengisi suara asal Italia.[1] Biografi Lahir di Bologna, Fantoni memulai karir aktingnya dalam sandiwara karya Luchino Visconti sampai membuat penampilan layar lebar perdananya p...

 

Castiglione del Genovesi

Castiglione del Genovesicomune Castiglione del Genovesi – VedutaCastiglione del Genovesi visto dal monte Monna LocalizzazioneStato Italia Regione Campania Provincia Salerno AmministrazioneSindacoGeneroso Matteo Bottigliero (lista civica Uniti per Castiglione) dal 26-5-2014 (2º mandato dal 27-5-2019) TerritorioCoordinate40°44′N 14°51′E / 40.733333°N 14.85°E40.733333; 14.85 (Castiglione del Genovesi)Coordinate: 40°44′N 14°51′E...

Italie au Concours Eurovision de la chanson 1988

Cet article est une ébauche concernant l’Italie et le Concours Eurovision de la chanson. Vous pouvez partager vos connaissances en l’améliorant (comment ?) ; pour plus d’indications, visitez le projet Italie. Italieau Concours Eurovision 1988 Données clés Pays  Italie Chanson Vivo (Ti scrivo) Interprète Luca Barbarossa Compositeur Luca Barbarossa Parolier Luca Barbarossa Langue Italien Sélection nationale Radiodiffuseur RAI Type de sélection Sélection interne Con...

 

Avignon Papacy

Period during which the Pope lived in Avignon, France in the 14th century Papal StatesStato della Chiesa (Italian)Status Ecclesiasticus (Latin)Papauté d'Avignon (French)1309–1376 Banner of the Papal States (1300s) Coat of arms of the Avignon Papacy Map of the Papal states with the ecclesiastical enclave of Avignon in France.StatusPapal enclave and part of the Comtat Venaissin within FranceCapitalAvignonCommon languagesLatin, Occitan, FrenchReligion CatholicGovernmentThe...

 

Ukrainians of Romania

Ethnic group Ukrainians in RomaniaDistribution of Ukrainians in Romania (2002 census)Total population45,835 (2021 census),[1] 51,703 (2011 census)[2] to 200,000 (unofficial estimate)[3]109,871 Ukrainian-born refugees as of 2023[4]Regions with significant populationsnorthern Romania, in areas close to the Ukrainian borderLanguagesmainly Ukrainian and RomanianReligionUkrainian Orthodox, Pentecostal, Greek-Catholic and very small numbers of Jews[5][6&#...

Kaduthuruthy

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Kaduthuruthy – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Town in Kerala, IndiaKaduthuruthy Kaduthuruthi, KaduturuttiTownShiva TempleKaduthuruthyLocation in Kerala, IndiaShow map of KeralaKaduthuruthyK...

 

Lohuecosuchus

Extinct genus of reptiles LohuecosuchusTemporal range: Late Cretaceous: Campanian–Maastrichtian, 77.9–69 Ma[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Skull and mandible of Lohuecosuchus megadontos Scientific classification Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Clade: Archosauria Clade: Pseudosuchia Clade: Crocodylomorpha Clade: Crocodyliformes Clade: Eusuchia Clade: †Allodaposuchidae Genus: †LohuecosuchusNarváez et al., 2015 Type species †Lohuec...

 

Veine jugulaire interne

Veine jugulaire interneLes deux veines jugulaires internes sont visibles à gauche et à droitesDétailsAffluences sinus sigmoïde et sinus pétreux inférieurExutoire veine brachiocéphaliqueArtère associée Artère carotide interneIdentifiantsNom latin vena jugularis internaTA98 A12.3.05.001TA2 4800FMA 4724modifier - modifier le code - modifier Wikidata La veine jugulaire interne est une veine profonde du cou, de calibre moyen, qui collecte le sang de l'encéphale, des parties superficiell...

Ashvamedhika Parva

Fourteenth book of the Mahabharata Ashwamedha yagna of Yudhishthira Ashvamedhika Parva (Sanskrit: अश्वमेध पर्व), is the fourteenth of eighteen books of the Indian epic Mahabharata. It traditionally has 2 parts and 96 chapters.[1][2] The critical edition has one sub-book and 92 chapters.[3][4] Ashvamedhika Parva begins with an advice from Krishna and Vyasa who recommend Yudhishthira to perform the Ashvamedha ceremony. Yudhishthira discloses...

 

ليسوم حقيقي

اضغط هنا للاطلاع على كيفية قراءة التصنيف ليسوم حقيقي أو ينسون نجمي حبوب الليسوم الحقيقي أو اليانسون النجمي المرتبة التصنيفية نوع  التصنيف العلمي النطاق: حقيقيات النوى المملكة: النباتات الفرقة العليا: النباتات الأرضية Embryophytes القسم: نباتات وعائية Tracheophytes الشعبة: حقيقات �...

 

Tito Giuseppe Viazzi

Tito Giuseppe ViazziNascitaPezzolo Valle Uzzone, 7 gennaio 1816 MorteNovi Ligure, 7 dicembre 1887 Luogo di sepolturaCimitero di Novi Ligure Dati militariPaese servito Regno di Sardegna  Italia Forza armataRegia Armata Sarda Regio Esercito ArmaFanteria GradoMaggiore GuerrePrima guerra d'indipendenza italianaSeconda guerra d'indipendenza italiana BattaglieBattaglia di San Martino Decorazionivedi qui i dati sono tratti da Trovato il cippo funerario di Tito Viazzi medaglia d'arg...

中華民國空軍F-104

F-104戰機用的J79渦輪噴射發動機 1998年5月22日於台中清泉崗空軍基地舉辦的F-104星式戰鬥機除役典禮，由時任空軍總司令黃顯榮上將（左二）主持 中華民國空軍是美國盟邦中最早獲得F-104星式戰鬥機的外國部隊，第一批2架F-104B型機引進時間是1960年，最後一批16架TF-104G型機除役是在1998年，服役長達38年，飞行时间38万小时，直到1998年除役時，總計114架失事，66名飛行員喪生。依�...

 

Air Force Institute of Technology

U.S. military graduate school in near Dayton, Ohio This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view. (June 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Air Force Institute of TechnologyTypeGraduate schoolEstablished1919ChancellorWalter F. JonesLocationWright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio, U.S.39°46′59″N 84�...