Welcome to Calm History. I'm Harris, and this podcast is my quirky mix of education with sedation.

So go ahead, lean back, put up your feet, and settle into my time machine of tranquility.

I hope this episode distracts and relaxes your overactive brain squirrels.

When I think of the history of human flight, I think of the Wright brothers, of course. They were the first

humans to fly in 2003. But actually they weren't. Humans have been flying above the earth

since 1783. And as you've guessed, those early flights were done with balloons.

So yeah, it's balloons that are responsible for the first human flight, and also, unfortunately,

the first aircraft disasters.

Here are some questions I'll address in this episode.

Is it true that one of the first uses of a balloon was for war purposes?

What was the first animal to fly in a balloon? Was it a duck? A rooster? Or a sheep? What are the key differences between a hot air balloon and a hydrogen gas balloon. What famous person proposed

that prisoners should be the first test humans for a balloon flight? Is it true that a

priest was the first person to fly in a balloon?

What famous American attended most important balloon flights in Europe?

How was a balloon involved in the first aircraft disaster in history?

And I'll finish by telling you the technical difference between a balloon, a dirigible, and a blimp.

Time for a quick break.

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