The World Trade Center Tightrope Dance.

Philipe Petit didn’t realize that going to the dentist in 1968 would change his life. But, after seeing an article about the construction of the new World Trade Center towers in New York City, Petit became obsessed. After spending six years planning and researching, Petit decided the time was right to string a 140 foot steel cable between the “Twin Towers” (1,368 feet of the ground mind you) and step off the ledge. He spent 45 minutes on the wire, crossing between the towers 8 times. The police were dispatched to arrest him as soon as they realized what was going on, but Petit continued to enjoy himself on his wire until the threat of a helicopter plucking him off the wire (and rain) helped him end his tightrope dance. He was taken into custody and the incident is still referred to as the “artistic crime of the century”.

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Petit

"The Appointment in Samarra" as retold by W. Somerset Maugham [1933].

The speaker is Death
There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me.  She looked at me and made a threatening gesture,  now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate.  I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me.  The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went.  Then the merchant went down to the marketplace and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, Why did you make a threating getsture to my servant when you saw him this morning?  That was not a threatening gesture, I said, it was only a start of surprise.  I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.

Pic link:  http://www.vazaar.com/topic:scary/photos/id:27907/