Montgolfier Brothers Soar: Humanity Takes Flight
Brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier demonstrated the first public flight of a hot air balloon at Annonay, France, on June 4, 1783. The unmanned balloon, made of sackcloth lined with paper and inflated by burning straw and wool, rose to approximately 6,000 feet and traveled about a mile before landing. The Montgolfiers did not understand that hot air was the lifting agent; they believed they had discovered a new gas they called "Montgolfier gas." The first manned free flight followed on November 21, 1783, when Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and the Marquis d'Arlandes flew for 25 minutes over Paris. Just ten days later, Jacques Charles flew a hydrogen balloon, establishing the competing technology that eventually proved superior for long-distance flight.
June 4, 1783
243 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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