Joseph-Michel Montgolfier (b. 1740)

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Biography

The Montgolfier brothers – Joseph-Michel Montgolfier and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier – were aviation pioneers, balloonists and paper manufacturers from the commune Annonay in Ardèche, France. They invented the Montgolfière-style hot air balloon, globe aérostatique, which launched the first confirmed piloted ascent by humans in 1783, carrying Jacques-Étienne.

Timeline

The story of Joseph-Michel Montgolfier, told in moments.

1782 Event

Noticed laundry billowing over a fire and wondered if heated air could lift things. Built a small silk bag and watched it float to the ceiling. Called his brother in.

What went through your mind watching that silk bag float to the ceiling? Was calling your brother in the moment you knew? Did laundry billowing over a fire really spark everything?

1783 Event

Demonstrated their hot air balloon publicly at Annonay. It rose 6,000 feet and traveled over a mile. No one was aboard. The brothers thought it was "electric smoke" doing the lifting, not hot air.

Did you believe it was electric smoke or were you just guessing? What did it feel like watching your balloon rise 6,000 feet? Was the public demonstration terrifying?

1783 Event

Their balloon carried two passengers over Paris for 25 minutes. The first untethered human flight. Pilatre de Rozier and the Marquis d'Arlandes flew 5.5 miles. Louis XVI watched from Versailles.

How did it feel knowing two men flew because of your invention? Did Louis XVI watching from Versailles make it more nerve-wracking? Was the first untethered human flight the greatest moment of your life?

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