History of
Parachutes Scientists who study
archeology say that there may be some evidence of
prehistoric parachutes. But the first written history of the device comes from China about 2,100
years ago. Scientists
cite an ancient book that describes parachutes. However, there is no
archeological evidence that proves that an actual parachute was ever made. Later, people
from northern Africa and Italy also had ideas about a similar invention. In fact, a Leonardo
Da Vinci’s drawing
corresponds closely with the modern parachute design!
In 1783, French scientist Sebastian Lenormand invented the first modern parachute.
Sebastian
brainstormed with other scientists to come up with a way to help people jump
safely out of burning buildings. He thought the solution was to give people an object to
restrict their speed while they traveled toward the ground. Many people thought that he
was up to some kind of
fraud, but Sebastian had a lot of
integrity. His
budget was limited,
so he first tested his theory by using two umbrellas. He jumped
out of a tree and found that the umbrellas worked.
Next, he
refined his invention. Rather than using
umbrellas, he
knit a large parachute. Finally, he
jumped off a tall building on a French
estate and landed safely in the
courtyard. Sebastian’s work gave another man
an idea. Jean-Pierre Blanchard had a
different
outlook than Sebastian. He
was a hot air balloon
addict. He was
one of the first people to ride in a
hot air balloon powered by
hydrogen gas. He was a
proponent of using
the parachutes to exit from hot air
balloons. Starting in 1785, he used his
dog to show that animals could land
safely from hot air balloons by using
parachutes. Then, in 1793, he was faced
with a
chaotic experience. The hot air
balloon he was riding in burst and started
to fall. He was forced to use a parachute
himself. And much to his relief, it saved his