Philippe Petit’s 1974 World Trade Center tightrope walk and 2023 Maui wildfires recalled

On August 7, 1974, French high‑wire artist Philippe Petit performed an unapproved walk between the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center, an event later depicted in the documentary “Man on Wire.”

On August 8, 2023, wind‑driven wildfires swept the Hawaiian island of Maui, destroying the historic town of Lahaina and causing more than 100 deaths, marking one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent U.S. history.

Both dates are highlighted in a “Today in History” feature that commemorates notable past events.