discovered that filling a bag with hot air would cause it to rise. They demonstrated their principle at Annonay, France, on June 4, 1783, with an unmanned balloon made of linen and paper.

The decisions on what characters get the giant balloon treatment are made with a mix of internal ... Helium is lighter than air, and the filled balloons displace heavier air to create lift.

A large number of hot air balloons went up into the sky on October ... This year’s fiesta included 106 balloons in special shapes, 16 of which made their debut. There was a slight weather ...