Annonay hosted the first public demonstration of a Montgolfier hot-air balloon in 1783.
Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier demonstrated their unmanned balloon at Annonay, in the Ardèche region of France, on 4 June 1783. The balloon rose using air heated by a fire beneath its envelope, convincing witnesses that sustained flight could be achieved without wings.
The demonstration was an important step, but it was not the first human flight and did not carry passengers. Later Montgolfier flights at Versailles and Paris attracted royal attention and introduced people to free balloon flight.
Annonay is sometimes confused with Paris because the Montgolfiers’ best-known public demonstrations occurred near the French capital. The brothers’ family operated a paper-manufacturing business in Annonay, and their experience with lightweight paper helped them develop practical balloon envelopes.