Jean-Pierre Blanchard

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Jean-Pierre Blanchard
Jean-Pierre Blanchard, engraving after a portrait by Richard Livesay
Born	4 July 1753 Les Andelys, France
Died	7 March 1809(1809-03-07) (aged 55) The Hague, Holland
Nationality	French
Occupation	Inventor
Known for	Ballooning
Spouse(s)	Victoire Lebrun {abandoned} Marie Madeleine-Sophie Armant

Jean-Pierre [François] Blanchard (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ pjɛʁ blɑ̃ʃaʁ]; 4 July 1753 – 7 March 1809) was a French inventor, best known as a pioneer of gas balloon flight, who distinguished himself in the conquest of the air in a balloon. Notable for his successful hydrogen balloon flight in Paris on 2 March 1784, Blanchard later moved to London and undertook flights with varying propulsion mechanisms. His historic achievement came on 7 January 1785, crossing the English Channel from Dover Castle to Guînes in about 2½ hours, receiving acclaim from Louis XVI and earning a substantial pension.

Touring Europe, Blanchard demonstrated his balloons and showcased the modern parachute, which he later used for a successful escape in 1793 when his hydrogen balloon ruptured. In 1792 , he conducted the first balloon flight in the Americas, witnessed by President George Washington. Married to Sophie Blanchard in 1804, Blanchard suffered a fatal heart attack in his balloon in 1808, with his widow continuing balloon demonstrations until her accidental death.