Oddity of the Week: Up, Up and Away
Created | Updated Jan 12, 2014
Who did what first? That's showing them!
Balloon First: Up, Up and Away
Why do people do this? Act as if it's a big deal, when other people do something? As if this ethnic group, or that gender, couldn't possibly accomplish the same feats as their ethnic group/gender/bowling club. White guys can't jump. Men can't do needlepoint. Women can't fly balloons…
What?
Well, that's what the French said. Boy, were they surprised. In 1798, Jean-Geneviève Labrosse went up in a balloon with her huaband, André Garnerin. It was her husband's invention, that balloon, and he could take anybody he pleased.
Later, M Garnerin let his wife borrow the balloon, thus making her the first female solo balloon pilot. And in 1799, she even parachuted from 900 meters up. Mme Garnerin made some aviation firsts, back when most people – male and female – were scared to get up higher than the church steeple. Good for her.
So take that, chauvinists. Anything the guys could do, the women could do better. And with more style, apparently. Look at the fashion parade in this pic.
That reminds us…have you written about your historic first for the Edited Guide yet?
