19 September 1783: A sheep, a duck and a rooster fly in a balloon
In 60 words
On 19 September 1783, the Montgolfier brothers sent a sheep, a duck and a rooster aloft in a hot-air balloon at Versailles, in front of King Louis XVI. They flew for about eight minutes and landed safely, showing living creatures could survive in the air. People flew two months later.
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