Friday 27 March 2015

The Daredevil Life And Pyrotechnic Death Of Sophie Blanchard

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Sophie Blanchard, born in 1778, was the first female aeronaut in history, and was selected by Napoleon Bonaparte as France's Chief Air Minister of Ballooning.

Over the course of her high-flying career, Sophie Blanchard gained a massive fanbase and pioneered new flight techniques for balloons. Her test flights resulted in multiple near-death experiences before she finally perished in a fatal blaze of glory in 1819.

(via Neatorama)

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