born July 4, 1753, Les Andelys, France died March 7, 1809, Paris French balloonist. In 1785 he made the first aerial crossing of the English Channel, accompanied by John Jeffries, a U.S. doctor. He invented a parachute in 1785. His balloon flights in other European countries and in the U.S. in 1793 spurred an interest in ballooning. He and his wife performed many exhibitions in Europe; they died in separate balloon accidents