Westminster London can claim many firsts, from the world's first underground railway to the world's first emergency telephone number. But who knew that it was also home to the world's first human cannonball? In today's episode of unusual as usual, we're going to examine the explosive career of Zazal, aka the human cannonball of Westminster. Rosson Matilda Richter was born in 1863 in London, England. Her father, Ernest Richter, was a well-known talent agent who supplied acts to several circus productions. Her mother, Suzanne Richter, was a dancer in one of these productions. Coming from a circus background, it was no surprise when she took up aerial trapeze at the age of six. Making her performance debut at the Gareth Theatre in Whitechaffel under the stage name La Petit Loulou. As an accomplished tightrope and aerial acrobat, Richter became known for her trademark leap for life trapeze stunt, which she continued to perform throughout her career. When she was 12, she joined a travelling acrobat troupe, who tore from Ireland to France. It was during this time that she became the prodigy air of fan Canadian tightrope walker, William Leonard Hunt, also known as the Grey Farina. Farina's feats included performing summa salts while on the wire hanging from it by his feet, riding a bicycle across it, as well as daring tight wire walks above Niagara Falls and other seemingly impossible maneuvers. In 1871, several years before its first public display, he filed for a pattern in the US, for certain new and useful apparatus for projecting persons and articles into or through the air. Richter and Farini would work on this act together in secret until the 2nd of April 1877, when the now 14-year-old Richter changed her stage name to Zazel the beautiful human cannonball, and publicly performed a stunt for the first time at the Royal Aquarium in London. She was fired out of a large cannon, travelling through the air and landing in a net. In the book The Grey Farina by Shane Peacock, he writes, Farini stood at the cannon, looking evil in his black beard, commanding the sweet, beautiful young Zazel to enter the mortar, then lighting the fuse to a grey flourish, sending her across the greyth hole into a net of his own invention. In reality, the cannon used rubber springs to propel her, however, explosives were attached to complete the full effect. More sources, including the Guinness Book of Records, signed Zazel as the first human cannonball, however, others claim that the Australian Marvels, Ella Zuella and Joie's loyal, had performed the act a few years earlier. Zazel was featured at the Royal Aquarium for an extended period of time, sometimes performing twice a day and often to sell our audiences. The human cannonball act quickly became a sensation, and she took on celebrity status. Among her fans were a King Edward VII, who reportedly attended two of her performances while he was the Prince of Wales. An article in the Billboard by Louis Cook reads, The breathless silence that always preceded the act while it was being prepared only added to its intensity. And the graceful bow of the young lady who had the temerity and muscular strength to withstand the shock and presence of mind to guide her flight never failed to receive a round of rapturous applause. Zazel challenged stereotypes through acts that demonstrated feats of strength and agility. The human cannonball was not her only act. She also began performing a high dive at around the same time, also at the Royal Aquarium. For that stunt, she would stand on a platform that was raised up to 97 feet before jumping off into a net below. She continued to walk the tight rope, increasing the risk by running, laying down, standing on one foot and even sitting on the wire. These daring stunts did not come without their risks. And in 1879, Zazel received her first human cannonball accident, while performing at the Royal Aquarium. Quickly followed by another, in Potsmouth, where the net used to catch her was unsafe due to wear and tear. Although she didn't break any bones, the accidents were serious enough for her to take a short hiatus from performing. The Human Cannonball Act is regarded as the most dangerous of all the aerial arts. The danger is due to the fact that the performer has far less control over their trajectory and movement. A traditional aerialist placed their faith in their strength and conditioning. But when it came to the human cannonball, their faith was placed in mathematics. Over time, the spring-loaded method of propulsion proved unreliable, pushing modern human cannonball performers to use compressed air in their cannons. According to the great Sherman, P.T. Barnum, who had travelled to London to see her performance, Zazel pleaded with him to take her away. She was upset at the small share of money she received from Farini, when she was the star of the show and the one who took all the physical risks. In 1880, while the English Parliament debated the Acrobat's M.G. Nastix Bill, which proposed to ban all public displays of dangerous acts such as Zazel's, she and Farini took their show out of the country. She performed with the Barnum and Barely Circus for one season, performing in France, followed by the United States. There's no doubt that being the first human cannonball meant Zazel subjected herself to the highest level of danger. It took some time, but eventually, the odds finally caught up with her. When in 1891, while performing her signature leap for life, trapeistone in Las Vegas, the inevitable happened. The bracing poles were supposed to be fastened together with steel cables, but they were accidentally left unsecured. When she swung out on the wire, the poles came apart and Zazel fell to the ground. She plummeted 50 feet to the ground below, completely missing her safety net. She survived, but broke her back in several places, an injury that effectively ended her circus career. She retired that year, aged 28, after spending several months in a suspended body cast recovering. The following year, she began using her expertise to advocate for the use of nets as life-saving tools, such as to catch people jumping out of burning buildings. To demonstrate their safety, dressed in normal clothing, including jewelry and a hat, she would throw herself out of the window of buildings and into what was called. In addition to performing these publicity stunts, she also brought on the subject, becoming a column writer for the evening sun, as aware to publicise her ideas. In reality, the life nets often failed to set people, and sometimes firefighters themselves were injured or even killed by falling bodies. Leipers sometimes struck obstacles on the way down, landlifts on firemen or missed the nets entirely. This saving technique was eventually fares out in the 1960s, and due to advances in firefighting technology, it became obsolete by the 1980s. Rossa, Matilda, Richter, died of natural causes on the 8th of December 1937, aged 74. And there we have it, the explosive career of the world's first human cannonball, Zazel. How about you, are you in adrenaline junky? Do you have a head for heights? Let me know in the comment section below, and as always, don't forget to like and subscribe. That's all we've got time for today, but I'll see you all next week, and remember, stay unusual, as usual. If you've enjoyed this video, you might like this one too. If you want to see more peculiar people, you can check out the full playlist by clicking here. 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