Leonardo da Vinci sketched a parachute in 1485 with a pyramid-shaped wooden frame and linen covering.
His design appears in the Codex Atlanticus and uses a rigid structure about seven metres high and wide. Leonardo reasoned that a person could descend safely from a height if the canopy created enough air resistance.
The design was not built and tested in Leonardo’s lifetime. Its unusual rigid pyramid shape differs from the flexible, rounded parachutes used today, but the underlying principle is the same: drag slows a falling body.
The drawing is often described as an early parachute concept rather than the first practical parachute. In 2000, British adventurer Adrian Nichols built and tested a replica, although he used a modern backup parachute for safety. Leonardo’s sketch belongs to his broader study of controlled flight and falling motion.