The first flight of a hot air balloon was in 1783, in which the Montgolfier brothers flew a duck, a rooster and a sheep.
After the success of this flight, more balloon flights were held.
The Montgolfier brothers hot air balloon used hot air. In the same year, the scientist Jacques Charles together with the Rover brothers invented a balloon based on hydrogen.
The sign indicates the flight in which Jacques Charles and Nicolas-Louis Rover used a balloon filled with hydrogen (called "Charlier") and flew it for a distance of 36 km (the flight lasted 2 hours and 5 minutes). This was the first manned flight in air balloon.
Despite this, the balloon based on hot air was a success, and the one based on hydrogen was pushed to the corner.
The place where the sign is placed was photographed on the same day
Click for a larger image Translation of the text on the sign:
IN THESE PLACES, DECEMBER 1, 1783
LEFT
THE PHYSICIAN A.C. CHARLES
AND MARIE-NOEL ROBERT
IN THE FIRST NACELLE
LARGE HYDROGEN TANK.
AERO CLUB OF FRANCE