The Inspiring Life Story of Kitty O'Neil, the Stuntwoman Being Honored by Google

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Today's Google Doodle celebrates the 77th birthday of Kitty O'Neil, a legendary American stunt performer, daredevil, and rocket-powered vehicle driver.

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O'Neil was born deaf in 1946 to a Cherokee Native American mother and an Irish father in Corpus Christi, Texas.

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Despite her deafness, O'Neil did not view it as a hindrance and adopted various communication modes throughout her life.

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O'Neil began her career as a diver but switched to high-speed sports like water skiing and motorcycle racing.

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She performed dangerous stunts like falling from great heights while set on fire and jumping from helicopters.

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In 1976, O'Neil set the women's land-speed record of 512.76 miles per hour in a rocket-powered car called the Motivator.

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Her sponsors did not allow her to break the overall record held by a male driver, but she went on to break records piloting jet-powered boats and rocket dragsters.

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A biopic about O'Neil's life, Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story, was released in 1979 and recaps her impressive feats.

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