Lindsey Graham (3:58)

From Noiser and Airship I'm Lindsey Graham and this is History. Daily history is made every day on this podcast. Every day we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is June 4, 1783 the hot air balloon's first flight. It's November 1782 in Avignon, France. Two and a half years before the first public demonstration of a hot air balloon, 42 year old Joseph Montgolfier carries a box shaped cloth covered contraption through his house and carefully places it on the stone floor of his kitchen. Joseph smooths the cloth, checks the lightweight wooden frame is intact, and then nods with satisfaction. His experiment is ready. Joseph has always been a tinkerer and deeply curious about the ways of the world. A few days ago, while watching clothes dry over a fire, Joseph noticed a shirt, sleeves billowing and lifting up in the air. That gave him the seed of an idea. He wondered whether smoke might contain a special substance that's more buoyant than regular air. So he set to work building a device to test his a lightweight box to capture smoke. And if Joseph's theory is correct, the box should rise into the air when there's enough smoke inside. So now Joseph crumbles up some paper on the floor and sets it alight. Then he carefully places the only side of the box that's not covered by cloth over the top of the small flame. At first all Joseph sees is a flicker behind the cloth, but after a moment, the box slowly floats up into the air. Joseph claps his hands in delight as the box rises up all the way to the ceiling and Then, when the fire burns out, the box drops back to the floor. Joseph repeats his experiment several times, noting that the box rises only when smoke is trapped inside the chamber. If Joseph blows the smoke away from the box, it remains on the floor. Excited by this discovery, Joseph writes to his younger brother, Etienne, to tell him about his findings. Joseph explains that smoke must contain something that's lighter than air, A mysterious substance he dubs montgolfier gas. He's already invented a special gadget that captures this gas and uses it to rise into the air. But for the next stage of his experiments, Joseph needs Etienne's help. Etienne runs a paper making business, and Joseph wants to make use of his brother's expertise. He asks Etienne whether paper would be a better material to cover his floating box. It's lighter than cloth, after all, so in theory, less montgolfier gas should be needed to make it fly. But of course, paper is flammable. So what Joseph needs is a paper mix that is both lightweight and and fire resistant. Over the next few weeks, the two brothers collaborate and build several more experimental contraptions. Together, using Etienne's knowledge of paper manufacturing, they find a blend of cotton and paper that's less prone to tearing or catching on fire. They also discover it's possible to remove the device's square wooden frame because the smoke itself seems to support the material. That considerably lowers their gadget's weight, allowing them to build a bigger test model. When they release this new unframed balloon outside, the result is spectacular. It floats high into the air until the wind catches it and the balloon threatens to disappear into the distance. The brothers race after it, trying to keep their precious invention in sight. The balloon travels for over a mile. But when Joseph and Etienne finally reach its landing site, their hearts sink. Someone else has gotten to the balloon first and hacked it to pieces. But perhaps thinking it was a bomb sent by France's old enemy, the British. After their test model is destroyed, the brothers build another balloon. And this one is even bigger. Keen to avoid another misunderstanding, they make their next launch a public event. And on June 4, 1783, local dignitaries are invited to a town square in Annae to watch the balloon go up. Upon Release, it reaches 6,000ft into the air and drifts for a mile before falling back to earth. The reaction of the invited guests is so positive that word of the Montgolfier brothers invention quickly spreads, even reaching the ears of the king. Three months after unveiling their balloon in its first public test flight, the montgolfiers are asked to repeat the demonstration for King Louis xvi, Joseph and Etienne make the most of the occasion. They decorate their balloon with royal symbols and attach a basket underneath. After they fill the balloon with smoke from a fire and it ascends above the palace of Versailles with a duck, a chicken and a sheep aboard, the animals become the first live test subjects to travel by hot air balloon, and King Louis gleefully tracks their progress on horseback. The three animals survive their adventure through the air, and King Louis realizes that these balloons may give France an advantage in battle. He requests another flight using condemned criminals as test pilots. But Joseph and Etienne persuade the king that the honor of being the first human to fly and should go to French noblemen, not criminals. So with royal backing, the Montgolfier brothers will embark on the next stage of their research with a new to send a balloon into the sky with a human on board.

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Lindsey Graham (10:20)

World is shattered when his cousin dies in custody just weeks after entering prison. The official report says natural causes, but bruises and missing teeth tell a different story. From Wondery comes Death County, Pennsylvania, a chilling true story of corruption and cover ups that begins as one man's search for answers, but soon reveals a disturbing Lamont's cousin's death is just one of many, and powerful forces are working to keep the truth buried. With never before heard interviews and shocking revelations, Death County Pennsy pulls back the curtain on one of America's darkest institutional secrets. This isn't just another true crime story. It's happening right now. Follow Death County Pa on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of Death County Pa. Early and ad free right now by joining Wondery. It's November 21, 1783, at a chateau in Paris, France, two months after the Montgolfier brothers demonstrated their balloon to king Louis XVI 29 year old science tutor Jean Francois Pilatre de Rosier walks around the Montgolfier brothers latest balloon, carefully inspecting the cotton and paper envelope for rips or tears. After he's done a full circuit of the balloon, he signals to the brothers that the equipment is good to go. Jean Francois wants to ensure that today's flight goes without a hitch. And not just because it's the latest demonstration of the Montgolfier's invention, but because for this flight, Jean Francois will be aboard. Five months ago, Jean Francois witnessed the first demonstration of the monster Montgolfier's balloon at Annone. Since then he's followed the brothers experiments with interest. He's assisted in several test flights, including the royal demonstration at Versailles. And last month Jean Francois helped Etienne Montgolfier make the first manned balloon flight. Although etienne only rose 80ft into the air since the balloon was tied to the ground. Now Jean Francois has been selected to go up in the first untethered balloon flight with fellow nobleman Florida Francois Laurent d' Alonde. So after his inspection is complete, Jean Francois climbs into the basket and d' Aulande joins him. They watch as the Montgolfier brothers light a fire and haul on ropes to pull the balloon over the smoke. The balloon slowly inflates until the basket lifts off the ground. Jean Francois is thrilled by the sensation of rising into the air, although he notices that Delande is finding it less enjoyable. His knuckles are white from gripping the side of the basket. The balloon then ascends to 3,000ft above Paris, giving Jean Francois a view of the French capital that up until now has been reserved for birds. The balloon drifts in the breeze, floating over the river Seine and far above the towers of the Notre Dame cathedral, the tallest building in France. Jean Francois removes his hat and waves enthusiastically to the tiny figures on the ground. And since this is the first untethered balloon with a human pilot, the Montgolfier brothers have added a new element to their balloon. An iron brazier slung underneath. Jean Francois has been carefully tending the fire within to keep them in the air. But after 25 minutes, he thinks they've been up there long enough. He lets the fire die down and the balloon descends slowly until it lands in a field five miles from where it took off. After they land, Jean Francois opens a bottle of champagne and and toasts the successful flight with d' Londe, whose color returns. Now his feet are back on solid ground. Over the next year, Jean Francois becomes Montgolfier's most Experienced pilot during his pioneering flights, Jean Francois accompanies the first paying passengers to travel by balloon. And he ascends through the clouds on another trip, going higher than anyone has before. On that occasion, Jean Francois travels more than 330 miles before the freezing winds at 10,000ft force him back down to earth. Now, secure in the knowledge that balloons can cover long distances, Jean Francois next challenge is to make the first crossing of the English Channel. But he knows that flying over the sea means that he'll need a bigger balloon with a larger supply of fuel. Jean Francois decides that the Montgolfier's latest balloon isn't up to the task. So he builds his own. With a radical new design. Jean Francois's balloon has two chambers. One captures hot, smoky air, like the Montgolfier balloons. But the second chamber contains a newly discovered gas that's known to be lighter than air. Hydrogen. Jean Francois's new balloon sets off from Calais on the north coast of France on June 15, 1785. Jean Francois and his companion hope for a smooth and historic journey. But their trip hits problems almost immediately. They're at the mercy of the elements because Jean Francois has no way to steer the balloon. And partway across the channel, the wind changes direction and pushes them back toward France. When the balloon crosses back over the French coast, just three miles from their launch point, Jean Francois decides to abandon his attempt. But as he starts the descent, a spark from the brazier ignites the hydrogen in the balloon. Second chamber. A fireball quickly consumes the balloon as Jean Francois watches on helplessly from 1,500ft above the ground. The basket plummets back down to earth. This accident gives Jean Francois another ballooning first. But this one is an unwanted accolade. He and his companion become the victims of the first fatal balloon accident in history. But they won't be the last. Over the next two centuries, balloons will send many more people to their deaths and. But the majority won't be passengers. Because less than 10 years after Jean Francois's last flight, the hot air balloon would become a weapon of war.

Chico Felitti (16:15)

Everyone has that friend who seems kind of perfect for Patty. That friend was Desiree. Until one day I texted her, and.

Lindsey Graham (16:24)

She was not getting the text. So I went to Instagram. She has no Instagram anymore. And Facebook.

Chico Felitti (16:30)

No Facebook anymore. Desiree was gone. And there was one person who knew the answer.

Lindsey Graham (16:35)

I am a spiritual person, a magical person, a witch.

Chico Felitti (16:40)

A gorgeous Brazilian influencer called Cat Torres. But who was hiding a secret from Wondery. Based on my smash hit podcast From Brazil, comes a new series, Don't Cross Cat, about a search that led me to a mystery in a Texas suburb.

Lindsey Graham (16:57)

I'm calling to check on the two missing Brazilian girls, maybe get some undercover crew there.

Misha Brown (17:03)

The family are freaking out.

Lindsey Graham (17:04)

They are lost.

Chico Felitti (17:05)

I'm Chico Felitti. You can listen to Don't Cross Cat on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Misha Brown (17:15)

Every big moment starts with a big dream. But what happens when that big dream turns out to be a big flop? From Wondery and Ill Media, I'm Misha Brown and this is the Big Flop. Every week, comedians join me to chronicle the biggest flubs, fails and blunders of all time. Like Quibi.

Lindsey Graham (17:37)

It's kind of like when you give yourself your own nickname and you try to like get other people to do it.

Misha Brown (17:41)

And the 2019 movie adaptation of Cats.

Audible Advertiser (17:45)

Like if I'm watching the dancing and I'm noticing the feet aren't touching the ground, there's something wrong with the movie.

Misha Brown (17:51)

Find out what happens when massive hype turns into major fiasco. Enjoy the Big Flop on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to the Big Flop early and ad free on Wondery Plus. Get started with your free trial at.

Lindsey Graham (18:06)

Wondery.Com/ it's the morning of June 26, 1794, outside Flores, a town in the Netherlands, nine years after the death of Jean Francois Palatre de Rosier. The 28 year old French general Antoine Marlow holds a telescope to his eye and examines the position of enemy fortifications around the town. It's a familiar task for General Merlot, who's commanded troops in several battles, but but he's never had such an impressive view of a battlefield before. Because right now General Morloau is 100ft in the air in the wicker basket of a hot air balloon. Five years ago, in 1789, King Louis XVI was overthrown in the French Revolution and a republican government was set up in his place. Two years later, a coalition of European powers declared war on the new regime with the intention of re establishing the French monarchy. The outnumbered French army needed every advantage it could get and turned to the country's brightest minds for help. So the Montgolfier brothers were asked to turn their balloon into a weapon of war. Today, the French army is facing an Austrian force occupying the town of Fleurus, and for the first time, they have a hot air balloon in their arsenal. After examining the enemy positions, General Morlot thinks he's seen enough from his high vantage point. The balloon then descends, and the general passes on instructions to his subordinates. Knowing exactly where the Austrian troops are coming from and in what numbers allows General Morloau to shuffle his troops to better defend against the threat. And over the next few hours, the Austrians launch multiple assaults on the French lines. But General Morloau's men hold firm, and when the Austrian advance stalls, the French rally to push the Austrians back. By the end of the day, the French are in command of the battlefield. After this success at the Battle of Fleurus, balloons gradually become an important part of 19th century armies. Over the years that follow, more advanced balloons and then airships rise higher and go further than ever before. During World War I, hundreds take to the air, deployed either to scout out the enemy or to protect ground targets against an even more deadly weapon of the skies. The airplane. And in many ways, it's the airplane that makes Montgolfier Brothers invention obsolete. But hot air balloons remain in use today for pleasure flights. And some even predict the golden age of ballooning is yet to come. Gigantic, helium filled hybrid airships may soon be a familiar sight in the skies. An environmentally friendly form of transportation that can trace its lineage back more than two centuries to the Montgolfier Brothers experimental hot air balloon, which was first unveiled to the French public on June 4, 1783. Next on History Daily, June 5, 1968. Senator Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated, changing the course of American politics forever. From noiser and airship, this is History Daily. Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Mohammed Shazid Sound design by Matthew Filler Music by Thrum. This episode is written and researched by Scott Reeves, edited by William Simpson Managing producer Emily Burke. Executive producers are William Simpson for Airshift and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.