BASE Jumping from Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro

In December 1999, Felix Baumgartner jumped from the right arm of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, setting the world record for lowest BASE jump, to the world’s collective amazement. The same year he claimed the world record for highest BASE jump when he leapt from the top of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. Baumgartner served in the Austrian military, where he learned parachuting skills, including training that would allow him to accurately hit tiny drop zones. He’s now working with Red Bull to skydive from the edge of space.