T here’s hardly a more recognizable landmark in the Midwest than the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, a monument honoring Thomas ...

On Nov. 22, 1980, Kenneth Swyers of Overland parachutes above the Gateway Arch and lands on top, then falls down the north leg when his parachute deflates.

In 1980, 33-year-old Kenneth Swyers—deemed a highly skilled parachutist—jumped from a plane onto the top of the Arch, according to an archived St. Louis Post-Dispatch article.

1980: Skydiver’s stunt at Gateway Arch ends in tragedy. Kenneth Swyers of Overland parachutes above the Gateway Arch and lands on top, then falls down the north leg when his parachute deflates.