The History of Hot Air Ballooning
History Pages
- Brief History
- 1783 - Birth of Flight
- 1784 - English Aeronaut
- 1785 - Conquering the Channel
- 1793 - America Takes Off
- 1800 - Death of the Hot Air Balloon
- 1812 - The Irish Question
- 1898 - Balloons to Airplanes
- 1931 - A Stratospheric Achievement
- 1935 - Highest Men in the World
- 1960 - Balloons and Parachutes
- 1960s - Renaissance of Hot Air
- 1978 - Transatlantic Challenge
- 1981 - Transpacific Challenge
- 1987 - Richard Branson
- 1999 - The Last Frontier
- 2005 - Altitude Record Broken Again
1935 – The Highest Men in the World
A new altitude record was set by two US Army Captains, Orvil Anderson and Albert Stevens, which was to remain unbeaten for two decades. The balloon Explorer 2, a gas helium model reached an altitude of 72,440 feet (13.7 miles). For the first time in history it was proven that humans could survive at extremely high altitudes, and the flight helped pave the way for future space travel.
