††A parachute is a large umbrella-shaped device that is used to slow down the speed at which a person or object falls through the air.
Chinese records dating from 90 to 80 BC contain the first known references to parachutes, and Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci also suggested its use in a book he wrote in 1480.
The modern parachute has its origins in Frenchman Louis Lenormand's experiments. He was inspired by the Chinese writings on the subject, and made the first successful parachute jump from a tree and then from a tower in the town of Montpellier in 1783. In that same year, Jean Pierre Blanchard made the first successful parachute jump from a balloon.
