André-Jacques Garnerin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
André-Jacques Garnerin
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| Born | 31 January 1769 Paris, France
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| Died | 18 August 1823 (aged 54) Paris, France
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| Nationality | French |
| Known for | Pioneer balloonist and parachuter |
André-Jacques Garnerin (born January 31, 1769 – died August 18, 1823) was a French balloon pilot. He also invented the first parachute without a rigid frame. He was even named the Official Aeronaut of France!
Contents
Becoming a Pioneer in the Sky
André-Jacques Garnerin was born in Paris, France. During the early French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1797), he was captured by British soldiers. They handed him over to the Austrians. He was held as a prisoner of war in Buda, Hungary, for three years.
Learning About Balloons
Garnerin learned a lot about hot air balloons from his teacher, Professor Jacques Charles. Charles was a pioneer in ballooning. André-Jacques often worked with his older brother, Jean-Baptiste-Olivier Garnerin, on balloon projects. Because of his skills, he was given the important title of Official Aeronaut of France.
The First Parachute Jump
Garnerin started trying out early parachutes. These were shaped like umbrellas. On October 22, 1797, in Parc Monceau, Paris, he made history. He performed the first parachute jump using a parachute that had no frame. He was sitting in a basket attached to it!
His first parachute was made of white canvas. It was about 23 feet (7 meters) wide. Before he went up, the parachute was folded. A pole went down its middle, and a rope connected it to the balloon. Garnerin sat in a basket below the parachute. When he was about 3,000 feet (914 meters) high, he cut the rope. This rope connected his parachute to the balloon. The balloon floated away into the sky. Garnerin, with his basket and parachute, began to fall.
The basket swung a lot as he came down. It bumped and scraped when it landed. But Garnerin was not hurt at all!
A Woman in the Sky
Garnerin continued to show off his parachute jumps in Paris. In 1798, he announced something very exciting. His next flight would include a woman as a passenger! This caused a big stir. The public and newspapers were excited. But officials from the police department were worried. They thought the low air pressure might harm a woman's body. They also worried about the moral side of a man and woman flying so close together.
The police tried to stop him. They said the young woman didn't know the risks. But after talking to government ministers, the ban was lifted. They decided it was no different than two people riding in a carriage. They also agreed that the woman was brave and trusted the experiment.
Citoyenne Henri was chosen for the flight. On July 8, 1798, many people gathered in Parc Monceau. Citoyenne Henri was described as young and beautiful. She and Garnerin walked around the park, getting applause from the crowd. The famous astronomer Jérôme Lalande helped her into the balloon's basket. The balloon trip went smoothly. They landed safely in Goussainville, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Paris.
Adventures in England
As the Official Aeronaut of France, André-Jacques and his wife, Jeanne Geneviève Labrosse, visited England in 1802. They performed many demonstration flights there. On September 21, 1802, André-Jacques went up in his hydrogen balloon from a field in London. He then made a parachute descent. This event was so famous that it inspired a popular English song:
- Bold Garnerin went up
- Which increased his Repute
- And came safe to earth
- In his Grand Parachute.
He also flew with Edward Hawke Locker on July 5, 1802. They traveled 17 miles (27.4 km) in just over 15 minutes! When the war between France and Great Britain started again, they had to return to Europe. On October 3–4, 1803, he flew his balloon 245 miles (395 km) from Paris to Clausen, Germany.
Garnerin's Family of Fliers
André-Jacques often worked with his older brother, Jean-Baptiste-Olivier Garnerin, on his balloon adventures.
Jeanne Garnerin
His student, Jeanne Geneviève Labrosse, later became his wife. She was also a balloonist and the very first female parachutist! Jeanne first flew in a balloon on November 10, 1798. Then, on October 12, 1799, she became the first woman to parachute. She jumped from a height of 900 meters (about 2,950 feet).
Elisa Garnerin
His niece, Elisa Garnerin, was born in 1791. She learned to fly balloons when she was only 15 years old! Elisa made 39 professional parachute jumps between 1815 and 1836. She performed in many countries, including Italy, Spain, Russia, Germany, and France.
His Final Days
On August 18, 1823, André-Jacques Garnerin was working on building a new balloon. He was 54 years old. Sadly, a falling beam hit him, and he died instantly.
Legacy
André-Jacques Garnerin's first parachute jump was remembered by Google on October 22, 2013. They created a special Google Doodle for him.
Images for kids
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Monsieur and Madame Garnerin (Christoph Haller von Hallerstein, c. 1803)
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Citoyenne Henri accompanies Garnerin on a highly publicised and controversial flight on 8 July 1798
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Schematic depiction of Garnerin's first parachute used in the Parc Monceau descent of 22 October 1797. Illustration dates from the early nineteenth century.
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Parachute of André-Jacques Garnerin
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Garnerin releases the balloon and descends with the help of a parachute, 1797. Illustration from the late 19th century.
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See also
In Spanish: André Jacques Garnerin para niños
