In the Air

photostogo.com IMSI Master Clips

1783

The hot-air balloon is invented in France.

1783

The parachute is invented in France.

1852

The dirigible is invented in France.

1900

The zeppelin is invented in Germany.

1903

The first propellor airplane is invented in the United States.

1911

The first hydroplane is invented in the United States.

1926

The rocket is invented in the United States.

1930

The jet engine is invented in England.

1936

The double-rotor helicopter is invented in Germany.

1939

The jet is invented in Germany.

1940

The single-rotor helicopter is invented in Russia and the United States.

1955

The hovercraft is invented in England.

1969

The Concorde supersonic passenger airplane is invented in England.

1970

The jumbo jet is invented in Germany and England.

1981

The first solar-powered airplane is invented in the United States.

1981

The first space shuttle, Columbia, is launched in the United States.

2006

The Airbus 380 superjumbo jet, the world's largest passenger plane, is developed in France.

2007

Boeing begins rollout of the 787 Dreamliner, a smaller, quieter, and more efficient challenger to the Airbus 380. It is the world's first commercial airliner to be built mainly of composite materials.

For more inventions, see Inventions & Discoveries.

Fact Monster/Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.