Joseph-Michel Montgolfier
French hot air balloon inventor
Died when: 69 years 304 days (838 months)Star Sign: Virgo
The Montgolfier brothers – Joseph-Michel Montgolfier (French pronunciation: ?[?oz?f mi??l m?~g?lfje]; 26 August 1740 – 26 June 1810) and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier (French pronunciation: ?[?ak etj?n m?~g?lfje]; 6 January 1745 – 2 August 1799) – were aviation pioneers, balloonists and paper manufacturers from the commune Annonay in Ardèche, France.
They are best known historically as inventors of the Montgolfière-style hot air balloon, globe aérostatique, which launched the first confirmed piloted ascent by man in 1783, carrying Jacques-Étienne.
Joseph-Michel also invented the self-acting hydraulic ram (1796) and Jacques-Étienne founded the first paper-making vocational school.Together, the brothers invented a process to manufacture transparent paper.