1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: a show that shines a light on the ups and 4 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: downs of everyday history. I'm Gay Bluesier and in this 5 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:26,319 Speaker 1: episode we're talking about the death defying debut of a 6 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 1: self styled superhero, the Amazing Spider Dan hey k A 7 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: the Skyscraper Man. The day was May, a twenty five 8 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: year old acrobat named Dan Goodwin completed the first external 9 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: climb of the Sears Tower, the tallest building in the 10 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: world at the time. He managed to scale the one thousand, 11 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: four hundred and fifty foot structure now known as Willis 12 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 1: Tower using an array of climbing equipment, including giant suction 13 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: cups fastened to his hands and feet. He dressed appropriately 14 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 1: for the task, donning a homemade Spider Man costume, though 15 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: his suit lacked the iconic mask. Still, the similarity was 16 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: striking enough that the press quickly dubbed him Spider Dan. 17 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: And while an unsanctioned climb up the side of a 18 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 1: skyscraper doesn't sound all that heroic, Dan Goodwin actually pulled 19 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: the stunt with a good cause in mind. Dan Goodwin 20 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: developed his love of climbing from his childhood in the 21 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 1: forests of Maine. He had his first brush with the 22 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: law as a teenager after he climbed one of the 23 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 1: tallest trees in Portlands and refused to come down. The 24 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: police eventually tried using a cherry picker to get him down, 25 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: but according to Goodwin, he was too nimble for the 26 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: officers to get a hold of him. After graduating high 27 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 1: school in nine seventy four, Goodwin took a job on 28 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: a blueberry farm and all mean A few years later, 29 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: he moved to Las Vegas and put his climbing skills 30 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: to work as an acrobat and gymnast at the Tropicana 31 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: Hotel and Casino. It was during this time that Goodwin 32 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: witnessed a tragedy that left a deep impression on him. 33 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: In November of nineteen eighty, a three alarm fire devastated 34 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: the twenty six story MGM Grand Hotel. The fire killed 35 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: eighty five people and sent six hundred and fifty more 36 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: to the hospital, including guests, employees, and fourteen firefighters. The 37 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: disaster was the result of a lack of built in 38 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: fire protection systems, namely sprinklers. The majority of the deaths 39 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: were due to smoke inhalation on the highest floors. The 40 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: firefighters performed admirably, but they were unable to reach the 41 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: guests on the upper levels of the building in time. 42 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: They had to get the blaze under control on the 43 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: lower floors before they could ascend any higher, and since 44 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:02,079 Speaker 1: the building was to six stories tall, they couldn't reach 45 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: guests windows by ladder either. Moved by this tragic scene, 46 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: Dan Goodwin began developing a plan for rescuing people directly 47 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 1: from their windows, no matter how high up they were. 48 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: He believed that if firefighters were trained to scale the 49 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:21,239 Speaker 1: exteriors of buildings, they could rescue people from their windows 50 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: and then lower them to the ground in baskets. He 51 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: took his idea to the Las Vegas fire chief, but 52 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,119 Speaker 1: they were unconvinced. After all, the plan was coming from 53 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: someone who had never scaled the exterior of a skyscraper himself. 54 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: How could they be sure it would even work. Six 55 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: months later, Goodwin decided he would find out for himself 56 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: by scaling what was then the tallest building in the world. 57 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: He spent about six weeks scouting the Sears Tower and 58 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: planning his ascent. During that time, he also constructed his 59 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: own Spiderman suit, had a reported cost of four hundred 60 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: and fifty dollars At last. On the morning of Memorial 61 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: Day of nine, Dan Goodwin was ready to make his climb. 62 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: He went most of the journey alone, but he did 63 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: get some help at the very start from his friend 64 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: and ladder man, James Hackett. Goodwin began his climb at 65 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: three am, using suction cups to adhere to the glass 66 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 1: and metal hooks to latch onto slots in the building 67 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 1: where window washing scaffolds would usually go. By six am, 68 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 1: Goodwin had reached the twenty sixth floor of the one 69 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 1: hundred and ten story building. His presence hadn't gone unnoticed either. 70 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 1: Sears Tower security guards were the first to spot him 71 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: when they went outside to raise the building's flag that morning. 72 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: Soon enough, a crowd of hundreds gathered around the west 73 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: side of the building to watch Goodwin's climb. The Chicago 74 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: Fire Department was on the scene as well, but there 75 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: wasn't much they could do to get Dan down. According 76 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: to Jack Sterling, a deputy district fire chief at the time, quote, 77 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: it was fruit list to try to stop him. He 78 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: could move so freely for the safety of everybody, I 79 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 1: decided to let him keep going. So, just like when 80 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 1: he was a teenager, Goodwin was just too fast and 81 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:17,239 Speaker 1: nimble for authorities to capture. Still, fire officials only agreed 82 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 1: to back off if Goodwin agreed to let them follow 83 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 1: beneath him with a window washing scaffold. The climber took 84 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: the deal, so from the fifty five floor all the 85 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: way to the top. The scaffold acted as a kind 86 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: of safety net. In the end, though Goodwin didn't need it. 87 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: He reached the roof without incident, pulling himself up and 88 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: over the edge. At about ten thirty am. The police 89 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,279 Speaker 1: were there waiting, and both Goodwin and Hackett were arrested 90 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: on the spot. Some law enforcement officials were understandably annoyed 91 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: with Goodwin, but some were surprisingly understanding and even complimentary. 92 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 1: For instance, Chicago patrolman Jack Rympkus told reporters quote, it 93 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: was a snap for him, almost like walking upstairs. He's 94 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: a real nice kid, and this is just something he 95 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 1: had to do. Goodwin and Hackett didn't get off scott free, 96 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: but it was pretty close. They were both charged with 97 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: disorderly conduct and we're bail bonded out the very next day. 98 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 1: In fact, when Goodwin walked out of the Downtown jail, 99 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: he was still wearing his spiky suit. He then held 100 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 1: a makeshift press conference that afternoon in the pump room 101 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: at the Ambassador East Hotel. They're Goodwin bragged about his 102 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 1: supposed mastery of fear, but he also leveled with the 103 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 1: crowd and tried to discourage others from attempting the stunt themselves. 104 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: He said, quote, I don't want people to think it 105 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 1: was something anyone can do. Each suction cup that I 106 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: put on was sliding. I had about ten seconds on 107 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 1: each cup. Two weeks after the incident, the climber and 108 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:56,799 Speaker 1: his accomplice had their big day in court. Goodwin pled 109 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: guilty and was find a whopping thirty five dollars. Hackett's 110 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,919 Speaker 1: charge was dismissed entirely, as there's nothing all that disorderly 111 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 1: about holding a ladder. The climb had gone fairly well, 112 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: all things considered. So Spider Dan returned to Chicago just 113 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 1: five months later, this time to climb the John Hancock Tower. 114 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 1: He succeeded again, despite the decidedly more hands on approach 115 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 1: of the fire department. On that occasion, they actually sprayed 116 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 1: him with a fire hose and an effort to get 117 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: him to climb back down. It was an incredibly reckless move, 118 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 1: and while it didn't have the intended effect, it thankfully 119 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: didn't get him killed either. In the end, Goodwin was 120 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:43,559 Speaker 1: charged with criminal trespassing and with performing an aerial act 121 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: without the use of safety equipment. These beefier charges led 122 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 1: the judge to give him a year of probation, during 123 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:54,240 Speaker 1: which time he was forbidden from performing any other public stunts. 124 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 1: Of course, that ruling only applied in the United States. 125 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: Goodwin was still free to climb in other countries, and 126 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: that's exactly what he did. Over the next several decades, 127 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 1: he scaled more skyscrapers, towers, and cliff faces all around 128 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: the world. Now in his late sixties, Dan Goodwin doesn't 129 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: embark on his many high profile climbs as he used to, 130 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: but he still keeps plenty busy as a motivational speaker, consultant, 131 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,680 Speaker 1: and podcast host. He may not have Spider Man's name, 132 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: recognition or superpowers, but he did get the blessing of 133 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 1: Spider Man creator Stan Lee. In two, the legendary Marvel 134 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 1: Comics creator wrote the foreword to Goodwin's memoir Skyscraper Man, 135 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 1: and four years later, Lee made it clear he was 136 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: a fan again when he said in a TV interview quote, 137 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:48,959 Speaker 1: I would think that anybody who could climb the world's 138 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: tallest building would have to be considered some sort of 139 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:54,559 Speaker 1: a legend. I would like to think that his climbing 140 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 1: the building was definitely a tribute to the spirit, to 141 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: the essence, to the heroism at his Spider Man. Full disclosure, 142 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: Dan Goodwin was the first person to climb the Sears Tower, 143 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 1: but he wasn't the last or the fastest. In a 144 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 1: French mountaineer named Alan Robert scaled the entire tower in 145 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 1: just over one hour, just like Dan. He was promptly 146 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 1: arrested at the top. But unlike Dan, Stan Lee never 147 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: claimed to be his personal fan. Enough set, I'm Gabe 148 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: Bluesier and hopefully you now know a little more about 149 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: history today than you did yesterday. He can learn even 150 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 1: more about history by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and 151 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 1: Instagram at t d i HC Show. You can also 152 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, or you 153 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: can send your feedback directly to me at this day 154 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:56,439 Speaker 1: at I heeart media dot com. Thanks as always, the 155 00:09:56,559 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: Chandler Mays for producing the show, and thank you for listening. 156 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another day 157 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 1: in history class. Mmmm.