1745-1799

French Aeronautic Inventor

1740-1810

French Aeronautic Inventor

The Montgolfier brothers were eighteenth-century French businessmen who enjoyed conducting scientific experiments in their spare time. Becoming interested in the age-old dream of flying, they discovered an important aeronautical principle involving balloons and in 1783 were responsible for the first human flight in history. Since they worked closely together on this project and since neither accomplished anything else particularly noteworthy, their biographies are always combined.

Joseph and Étienne were the twelfth and fifteenth children of Pierre Montgolfier (1700-1793), a wealthy paper manufacturer whose factories were located near Lyon in southern France. Joseph was largely self-educated. He tried the paper manufacturing business but had little success. He was shy and extraordinarily absent-minded, two qualities that hampered his career. He was, however, very interested in technological advances. After the...