Montgolfier Brothers' Annonay Demonstration
- When
- 1783
- Where
- Place des Cordeliers, Annonay; Paris
- Episodes
- 2
On 4 June 1783 the Montgolfier brothers flew their sackcloth-and-paper hot air balloon at Annonay before dignitaries of the états particuliers, the first public official flight of a hot air balloon, launching their claim to the invention of flight.
Episodes
- News of the success reaches Paris
Word of the Annonay success quickly reached Paris, where Étienne went to make further demonstrations and secure the invention claim.
- Public demonstration of the montgolfière at Annonay
The Montgolfier brothers flew their sackcloth balloon from the Place des Cordeliers at Annonay before dignitaries of the états particuliers.
Background and detail
Background. Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier were aviation pioneers, balloonists and paper manufacturers from Annonay in Ardèche, France. Joseph made definitive experiments in November 1782 while living in Avignon, and on 14 December 1782 the brothers conducted their first test flight using ignited wool and hay as fuel, a private experience above Vidalon-lès-Annonay.
The Annonay Demonstration. To make a public demonstration and claim the invention, the brothers constructed a globe-shaped balloon of sackcloth tightened with three thin layers of paper inside. On 4 June 1783 they flew it at Annonay, precisely from the Place des Cordeliers, before dignitaries from the états particuliers, particularly members of state of Vivarais.
Aftermath. Word of the success quickly reached Paris, and Étienne went to the capital to make further demonstrations and solidify the brothers' claim to the invention of flight. Later in 1783 the Aérostat Réveillon carried the first living beings aloft, and Étienne made a tethered ascent from the Réveillon workshop yard.
People involved
- Joseph-Michel Montgolfier · Co-inventor of the montgolfière and co-organizer of the demonstration
- Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier · Co-inventor of the montgolfière and co-organizer of the demonstration
Sources
- Montgolfier brothers Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-06
- Annonay Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-01
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.