Charles Blondin

This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (January 2024)

Charles Blondin
Born	Jean François Gravelet (1824-02-28)28 February 1824 Hesdin, Pas-de-Calais, France
Died	22 February 1897(1897-02-22) (aged 72) Ealing, London, England
Occupation	Tightrope walker
Spouses	Marie Blancherie Charlotte Lawrence ​ (died 1888)​ Katherine James ​ (m. 1895)​
Children	8

Charles Blondin (born Jean François Gravelet, 28 February 1824 – 22 February 1897) was a French tightrope walker and acrobat. He toured the United States and was known for crossing the 1,100 ft (340 m) Niagara Gorge on a tightrope.

During an event in Dublin in 1860, the rope on which he was walking broke and two workers were killed, although Blondin was not injured.

He married three times and had eight children. His name became synonymous with tightrope walking.