1970: At age 65, Karl Wallenda crosses the Tallulah Gorge in Georgia on a high wire. In the middle of the walk, 1,100 feet (335 metres) above the gorge, he stands on his head while on the wire.

It was a name meant for a star: Tallulah. Tallulah Bankhead, born in Huntsville, Ala., Jan. 31, 1902, was often referred to simply as “Tallulah” in news accounts during her heyday, becoming ...