Nick Piantanida
Nicholas J. Piantanida | |
|---|---|
Piantanida in 1966 | |
| Born | Nicholas John Piantanida August 15, 1932 Union City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | August 29, 1966 (aged 34) |
| Known for | Setting balloon altitude record |
| Spouse | Janice McDowell (1963–1966; his death) |
| Children | 3 |
Nicholas John Piantanida (August 15, 1932 – August 29, 1966) was an American amateur parachute jumper who reached 123,500 feet (37,600 meters; 23.39 miles) with his Strato Jump II balloon on February 2, 1966, flying a crewed balloon higher than anyone before, a record that stood until Felix Baumgartner's flight on October 14, 2012.