15th October 1783: First manned hot air balloon flight conducted by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier

NOV 21 1783 · 10:50

Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier, two brothers from Annonay, France, had been experimenting with flight using hot air since late 1782. The Montgolfiers’ balloon worked by heating air inside a large silk envelope, causing it to rise. This is based on the principle that heated air is less