World's Fastest Human - Joe Kittinger

Joe Kittinger reached over 614 miles per hour, without a vehicle. Have you ever skydived from space? He has. You can listen to him describe the jump here and here.

Kittinger's first jump, which occurred on November 16, 1959, was a near disaster. After jumping from an altitude of 76,000, Kittinger's small parachute malfunctioned, opening early and catching Kittinger around the neck, causing him to spiral down towards Earth and lose consciousness. Luckily, his emergency automatic parachute activated at 10,000 feet, saving his life. Despite this near-death experience, Kittinger still flew a few more Project Excelsior missions.