9 harrowing photos of the original daredevil stunt that inspired 'The Walk'

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Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

In 1974, after six years of planning, French aerialist Philippe Petit walked across a tightrope stretched between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.

Though Petit was subsequently arrested after his daring stunt, the aerial performance inspired a documentary, Man on a Wire, and more recently was the subject of The Walk, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Petit.

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His death-defying performance lasted about 45 minutes as Petit walked across the wire eight times, using a rigged cable and balancing pole to help him gain a steady foothold.

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