Ildebrando Zacchini

Ildebrando Zacchini
Born 1868
Malta
Died July 17, 1948
Tampa, Florida
Resting place
 Myrtle Hill Memorial Park, Tampa
Known for human cannonball act

Ildebrando Zacchini (1868 - July 17, 1948, Tampa, Florida) was a painter, inventor, and travelling circus owner.[1]

Inspired by the works of Jules Verne, Zacchini came up with an idea for a human cannonball act.[2] Instead of explosives, Zacchini's human-firing cannon used compressed air, and he first tested it on his son Hugo Zacchini.

The idea for the cannonball act was initially proposed to the Italian government as a military maneuver to be used in conjunction with parachutes; when the proposal was rejected Zacchini looked to use the technique as part of an entertainment act.[3]

Members of the Zacchini family were later inducted into the Ringling Brothers Circus Hall of Fame.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Rene Zacchini left circus to serve in Florida House...". St. Petersburg Times. April 22, 2010. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Zacchini Cannon Enters Museum". St. Petersburg Times. March 31, 1976. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  3. ↑ "'Trigger man' behind human cannonball dies". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. January 11, 1993. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Ildebrando Zacchini". Find A Grave. Retrieved August 14, 2012.

External links