The First Hot Air Balloon

Today, people can easily travel through the sky in airplanes, but the first flying machine was very different. In 1783, two French brothers named Joseph and Étienne Montgolfier invented the hot air balloon. They discovered that when they heated the air inside a large paper or cloth bag, the bag would rise into the air. This happens because hot air is lighter than cold air.

In September of that year, the brothers decided to show their invention to the King of France. They didn't want to fly in the balloon themselves because they thought it might be too dangerous. Instead, they put three animals into a basket attached to the balloon: a sheep, a duck, and a rooster. The balloon flew for about eight minutes and landed safely.

A few months later, in November 1783, two men became the first humans to fly in a hot air balloon. They traveled over the city of Paris for 25 minutes. This successful flight was a huge step in the history of human travel, long before the invention of airplanes.

The First Hot Air Balloon

Today, people can easily travel through the sky in airplanes, but the first flying machine was very different. In 1783, two French brothers named Joseph and Étienne Montgolfier invented the hot air balloon. They discovered that when they heated the air inside a large paper or cloth bag, the bag would rise into the air. This happens because hot air is lighter than cold air.

In September of that year, the brothers decided to show their invention to the King of France. They didn't want to fly in the balloon themselves because they thought it might be too dangerous. Instead, they put three animals into a basket attached to the balloon: a sheep, a duck, and a rooster. The balloon flew for about eight minutes and landed safely.

A few months later, in November 1783, two men became the first humans to fly in a hot air balloon. They traveled over the city of Paris for 25 minutes. This successful flight was a huge step in the history of human travel, long before the invention of airplanes.