10/22/2026
Many brave souls have ventured the skies.
On this day, 22nd October 1797, at Parc Monceau, Paris, André-Jacques Garnerin rode in a basket attached to the bottom of the parachute; at a height of approximately 3,000 feet (1,000 m), he severed the rope that connected his parachute to the balloon.
The balloon continued skyward while Garnerin, with his basket and parachute, fell. The basket swung violently during descent, but Garnerin emerged uninjured.
Garnerin's first parachute was made of white silk with a diameter of approximately 23 feet (7 m). The umbrella was closed before he ascended, with a pole running down its centre and a rope running through a tube in the pole, which connected it to the balloon.
Find out more about the history of aviation here: https://ow.ly/9uG350ZZkXg
