On This Day… The Human Fly!

Written by: George Chittenden : 26 Jun 2019

It was on this day, 9th January, back in 1920, when "The Human Fly" George Polley was arrested for climbing without official permission! He attempted to scale the 57 floor Woolworth building in New York, but only managed to reach the 30th floor before being apprehended.

George began climbing a decade earlier at the age of twelve when the owner of a clothing store promised him a suit if he would climb to the roof of the building, and he succeeded.

The "Human Fly, " George Gibson Polley, climbing the Burwell Building, Knoxville.

During his career he climbed over 2000 buildings but decided to call it quits after he was arrested and began using his unique skills to fight for money as a lightweight wrestler! Sadly, this amazing guy died at the age of twenty-nine due to a brain tumour.

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