Give a stream of consciousness and then the final answer. Philippe Petit (French pronunciation: ( filip pti); born 13 August 1949 ) is a French high-wire artist who gained fame for his high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, on the morning of August 7, 1974 as well as his high wire walk between the towers of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, 1971. For his unauthorized feat 400 metres (1,000 feet) above the ground -- which he referred to as "le coup" -- he rigged a 200-kilogram (440-pound) cable and used a custom-made 8-metre (30-foot) long, 25-kilogram (55-pound) balancing pole. He performed for 45 minutes, making eight passes along the wire. The following week, he celebrated his 25th birthday. All charges were dismissed in exchange for him doing a performance in Central Park for children.

Based on this passage, who crossed the twin towers on a tightrope?
The relevant sentence in the passage is: Philippe Petit (French pronunciation: ( filip pti); born 13 August 1949 ) is a French high-wire artist who gained fame for his high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, on the morning of August 7, 1974 as well as his high wire walk between the towers of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, 1971.
So, the final answer is Philippe Petit ( French pronunciation : ( filip pti ) ; born 13 August 1949 ).