"Get in a supply of taffeta... and you will see one of the most astonishing sights In the world."
Joseph Montgolfier in a letter to his brother
At 1:45 p.m., November 21, 1783, in the courtyard of the Chateau de la Muette on the outskirts of Paris, the balloon constructed by brothers Joseph-Michael (1740-1810) and Jacques-Etienne de Montgolfier (1745-1799) made its first manned flight. Piloted by a young scientist named Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and an army officer, the Marquis d'Adlandes, the flight high over the city lasted for twenty-five minutes and came to the ground on the Butte-aux-Cailles, 10 miles (16 km) from where it had started.
The Montgolfiers' inspiration came from watching a fire burning and speculating as to the "force" that caused the sparks, smoke, and embers to rise. They constructed a large envelope from taffeta, lit a fire beneath the opening, and watched as it rose to the ceiling. Their experiments grew grander in scale until on September 19, 1782, they were called to conduct a royal demonstration in Versailles. King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette witnessed the first passenger- carrying'air flight—albeit with a sheep, a duck, and a rooster in the basket of the balloon. The eight-minute flight saw the Montgolfiers' creation rise to a height of 1,500 feet (460 m) before running out of fuel and landing safely 2 miles (3.2 km) distant.
In spite of their success, the brothers had still failed to understand the science that underpinned their work. They believed it was smoke from the burning wool and straw that caused their balloon to rise. In fact, the balloon rose because the property of air changes when its temperature is altered: The heated air inside the balloon became lighter than the colder air on the outside, causing it to ascend.
The two brothers were honored by the French Academic des Sciences and both were credited with further important inventions in their careers.
