From beautiful aerial acrobatics to the wild and zany antics of the clowns, here are 28 Most Iconic Circus Acts. \rbr\rbrSubscribe to Talltanic \rbr\rbr8- Aerial Acrobatics \rbrHigh above the ring can you catch these graceful performers and their selected props for stunning aerial acrobatics. Performers glide, twists, turn, and drop, getting the crowd more and more excited. Many acrobats have different styles when it comes to aerial acrobatics, including silks, ropes, rings, and other apparatuses. \rbr\rbr7- Sword Swallowing \rbrHold onto your lunches kids, because thiswill have you gagging. Sword swallowing is another one of those “edge of seat” s and is something that has brought fans back time and time again. Thetraces its history as far back as the 1st century AD. In the US, the most famous sword swallower from the late 1800s to the early 20th century was Fred McLone, better known by his stage name “Chevalier Cliquot” (klee-koo)\rbr\rbr6- Trapeze \rbrOne of the most famous and anticipated part of the circus, the trapeze is another high flyingthat gets the heart rate going. Acrobats situate themselves on their bars and take off, a catcher hanging by his knees, while a flyer gracefully sails through the air and is then caught. The trapeze is anthat is timeless and will remain at the heart of the circus. \rbr\rbr5- Human Cannonball \rbrSeeing someone being ejected from a giant cannon is heartstopping and fun. The human cannonball was first made anby the then 14 year old Rosa Matilda Richter, otherwise known by her stage name of Zazel, in 1877. While the trick seems dangerous, it isnt in f. The “cannon” is not a real cannon. The human cannonball is launched into the air by using compressed air and effects are used to make it seem like it is a real cannon. \rbr\rbr4- Strongmen \rbrOne of the earliest of circus s, strongmen and women were amazing s of pure physical strength and never ceased to surprise the crowds. One of the pioneers of the strongmenand even bodybuilding was Eugene Sandow, a man born in Prussia. While strongmen were prevalent, it wasnt long before strongwomen began emerging as well. Katie Sandwina made a way for herself as a strongwoman and even beat Eugene Sandow in a strength contest, inheriting his last name for her stage name. \rbr\rbr3- Tightrope \rbrAnother high above the crowd stunt, tightrope walking has made a long path since being first introduced into the circus. Performers balance and walk their way across thin wire, sometimes performing tricks as they did so. One of the most famous tightrope walkers is Karl Wallenda of the Flying Wallendas. \rbr\rbr2- Animal Taming \rbrOne crack of that bullwhip and you know that its time for a wild show. Animal taming has been around the circus since the 18th century and with each year, grew into crowd drawing shows, where tamers would handle dangerous wild animals such as lions, tigers, leopards, and even bears. Sometimes even monkeys were used during the show to help soften the scary tone of all the big animals. \rbr\rbr1- Clowns \rbrAlthough frightening to most people, clowns have been a part of the circus since the beginning. With their wacky outfits and painted faces, they graced the stage, performing silly s, like stumbling over one another, telling jokes, and throwing the occasional pie. One of the most famous circus clowns was George L. Fox, who paved the way for “whiteface” clowns.