BLANCHARD, JEAN-PIERRE-FRANÇOIS


Meaning of BLANCHARD, JEAN-PIERRE-FRANÇOIS in English

born July 4, 1753, Les Andelys, France

died March 7, 1809, Paris

French balloonist.

In 1785 he made the first aerial crossing of the English Channel, accompanied by John Jeffries, a U.S. doctor. He invented a parachute in 1785. His balloon flights in other European countries and in the U.S. in 1793 spurred an interest in ballooning. He and his wife performed many exhibitions in Europe; they died in separate balloon accidents.

J.-P.-F. Blanchard, engraving by James Newton, 1785, after an oil painting by Richard Livesay

By courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Britannica English dictionary.      Английский словарь Британика.