Leonardo da Vinci sketched a parachute in 1485 as a way to descend safely from a height.
His design used a pyramid-shaped wooden frame covered with linen cloth. Leonardo wrote that a person could jump from a great height while protected by the structure, although he did not record a test flight.
The concept is important because it shows Leonardo applying geometry, materials, and observations of air resistance to human flight. His parachute was not a modern fabric canopy: its rigid frame gave it a very different shape and handling behavior.
A common mix-up is calling Leonardo the inventor of the practical parachute. The first documented successful descent with a parachute is generally associated with André-Jacques Garnerin in 1797, more than three centuries later. Modern testing has shown that a scaled version of Leonardo’s design can descend successfully under suitable conditions.