Original Press Photo

Backstamped 1956 Death of Leo Valentin

One of the most well-known Batmen.

In 1956, as a result of equipment failure, Valentin died before a crowd of 100,000 spectators that included three-year-old Clive Barker (who went on to write about Valentin) and Beatles Paul McCartney and George Harrison.

Beginning around 1930s parachute daredevils, typically promoted as a Batman or Birdman, began skydiving with wings made of materials such as canvas, wood, silk, steel, and whalebone.