On this night in science
The first free balloon flight in America
January 9, 1793
On this day in 1793, Jean-Pierre Blanchard rose into the sky in a balloon from the middle of Philadelphia, while President George Washington watched from the crowd. About forty-five minutes later, he came down across the river in New Jersey.
Why it mattered
It was the first time anyone had floated freely through the sky over America, with no rope tying the balloon to the ground. Washington gave Blanchard a letter asking anyone he met to help him.
Wonder together
If you could float over your town in a balloon, what would you look for down below?