Paris in the 18th century Paris from across Europe and from the United States to share ideas; Benjamin Franklin came in 1766 to meet with Voltaire and to talk about his experiments with electricity. The 18th century in Paris was a particularly inventive period. Some of the discoveries of Paris scientists, particularly in the field of chemistry, were quickly put to practical use; the experiments of Lavoisier were used to create the first modern chemical plants in Paris, and the production of hydrogen gas enabled the Montgolfier Brothers to launch the first manned flight in a hot-air balloon on 21 November 1783, from the Château
Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, the first hot air balloon festival in the State of Penang, was mooted to boost tourist arrivals into the city-state. The inaugural event, held at the Polo Ground on 21 and 22 February 2015, was timed to coincide with the Chinese New Year festivities. Since then, the event has grown considerably. Several on-site family-friendly activities have been added into the two-day event, including workshops, photography contests and kite flying. Smaller-scale preludes to the yearly event have been organised as well, such as a mini balloon fiesta at the Esplanade and a balloon display in Butterworth on