Community Corner
Did You See Felix Baumgartner's Big Jump? [VIDEO]
Skydiver Felix Baumgartner broke records for both skydiving and internet traffic Sunday, landing safely after a 24 mile free fall from the stratosphere.
Skydiver Felix Baumgartner completed a record free fall to Earth from 24 miles (127,900 feet) above a New Mexico desert Sunday, drawing a large television and internet audience who watched the attempt live.
At one point, 8 million viewers tuned into a YouTube, smashing the site's previous record of 500,000 simultaneous viewers for their livestream of the London Olympics opening ceremonies.
Find out what's happening in Durham-Middlefieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Baumgartner, an Australian daredevil, opened the small pod door with a visibly curving Earth below him, stood on a platform and sent his last transmission - "Sometimes you have to go really high to see how small you are" - before stepping off into a freefall.
While no official figures were available, immediate estimates put his top rate of descent near 729 mph.
Find out what's happening in Durham-Middlefieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
