By Talia Kaplan
St. Louis County, MO (KSDK) - Thursday March 1, 2012 is rather historic.
It's the 100th anniversary of the first successful parachute jump from an airplane, and a special ceremony was held to mark the occasion.
The first person to parachute from an airplane actually did it in St. Louis. It happened at the Jefferson Barracks Army Depot in 1912.
Army Captain Albert Berry, the son of a balloonist, did what was thought to be impossible or crazy back then. He jumped from a "pusher" biplane designed Thomas Benoist.
On Thursday, many people came out to watch 82-year-old master parachutist Lewis Sanborn of Imperial make the jump to mark the anniversary.
The U.S. Army veteran has more than 7,300 parachute jumps to his credit but, he says Thursday's jump was one of the most meaningful.
"I am glad I was able to do it and I wish more people would do it a lot of people kind of back off and give up on life and you really shouldn't. Just because you turn 50, 60, 70 you shouldn't grab a seat in front of the TV and sit there and rot you should get out and do something," said Sanborn.
St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley presented a proclamation from the county recognizing the historical significance of the occasion.