Swiss scientist Auguste Piccard was the first to achieve a manned flight to the stratosphere in an air-tight metal cabin suspended from a specially designed hydrogen balloon. He reached a height of 51,793 feet, setting a new altitude record. Over the next couple of years, altitude records continued to be set and broken every couple of months - the race was on to see who could be the world's most fearless balloonist.

Brief History

1783 - Birth of Flight

1784 - English Aeronaut

1785 - Conquering the Channel

1793 - America Takes Off

1800 - Death of the Hot Air Balloon

1812 - The Irish Question

1898 - Balloons to Airplanes

1931 - A Stratospheric Achievement

1935 - Highest Men in the World

1960 - Balloons and Parachutes

1960s - Renaissance of Hot Air

1978 - Transatlantic Challenge

1981 - Transpacific Challenge

1987 - Richard Branson

1999 - The Last Frontier

2005 - Altitude Record Broken Again