Joseph-Michel Montgolfier and his brother Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier were the inventors of the Montgolfière-style hot air balloon, globe aérostatique. They have also received credit for successfully launching the first manned ascent.

Representational picture

Montgolfier wasn't the first
Experiments in flight using balloons predates the Montgolfiers. Early unmanned hot air balloons were used in China. Zhuge Liang of the Shu Han kingdom, during the Three Kingdoms era (220–280 AD) used airborne lanterns known as Kongming lanterns for military signaling.

The first manned flight
The Montgolfier brothers, who developed their hot air balloon in Annonay, Ardeche, France, held a public demonstration with an unmanned flight lasting 10 minutes in September 19, 1783. However, the first balloon flight with humans aboard was performed around October 15, 1783 by Etienne Montgolfier. It was termed a tethered flight. Etienne made at least one tethered flight from the yard of the Reveillon workshop in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine.