In the 1950s-1960s, a guy named Joseph Kittinger jumped out of high-altitude balloons and set several world records.  It was all part of a series of experiments to determine the effects of high altitude and different atmospheric conditions on the human body.  His highest jump was from 102,800 feet, where he was in free-fall for almost 5 minutes and reached a speed of 614 mph, making him the fastest human to travel through the atmosphere.  (via Digg) #science