On This Day Nov 21, 1783, marked a historic moment as French pioneers Jean-François Pilatre de Rozier and François Laurent, the marquis d’Arlandes, achieved the first untethered hot-air balloon flight. Soaring over Paris in a cloth balloon crafted by the inventive Montgolfier brothers, Jacques-Étienne and Joseph-Michel, the duo covered 5.5 miles in approximately 25 minutes.
This groundbreaking achievement, a culmination of centuries of human fascination with flight, opened new horizons in transportation and exploration. The Montgolfier brothers’ ingenuity paved the way for the era of aviation, inspiring future generations to reach for the skies.