The Bizarre Story of the Sheep, Duck, and Rooster That Made Aviation History -

On this date in 1783, brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier made history with the first hot-air balloon flight carrying passengers.

Their passengers? A sheep, a duck, and a rooster.

The balloon climbed roughly 1,500 feet, traveled about 2 miles, and remained airborne for around 8 minutes before landing safely. The flight demonstrated that living beings could survive in the air above the treetops — an important step toward human flight and the beginning of a new era in aviation.

More than 240 years later, ballooning still carries that same sense of wonder and whimsy. Looking back at the balloons that filled the skies over #SNF26