Question: who was the man who tightroped across the twin towers
Answer: Philippe Petit ( French pronunciation : ​ ( filip pəti ) ; 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 Notre Dame cathedral in Paris , 1971 .