On October 22, 1797, French balloonist and inventor André Garnerin, made the first save descent with a silk parachute from a ballon at Parc Monceau, Paris.
On June 19, 2002, American businessman, and a record-setting aviator, sailor, and adventurer Steve Fossett launched the 10-story high balloon Spirit of Freedom from Northam, Western Australia, for a journey around the world.