Born: 1863, United Kingdom
Died: 8 December 1937
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Zazel
Rossa Matilda Richter, stage name Zazel, was an English aerialist and actor who became known as the first human cannonball at the age of 14. She began performing at a very young age, practicing aerial stunts like tightrope walking in an old London church. She took up ballet, gymnastics, and trapeze by the time she was 6 and, at 12, went on tour with a traveling acrobat troupe. In 1877, she was the first person to be fired out of a cannon, before a large crowd at the Royal Aquarium.
She toured Europe and North America with circuses such as Barnum & Bailey, performing tightrope, trapeze, and high dive routines in addition to the human cannonball. Throughout her career, she suffered several accidents and injuries, one of which largely ended her career in 1891.
During time off from the circus, she founded an opera company with her husband, taking singing roles in some of the productions. She also volunteered her time writing and holding exhibitions to promote the life-saving use of safety nets.