# When and from what was the first parachute jump?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-from-what-was-the-first-parachute-jump/218418>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 11, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-from-what-was-the-first-parachute-jump/218418 "2003-12-11T20:06:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![improbably\_blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8dc957/32.png) [@improbably\_blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/improbably_blonde)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-from-what-was-the-first-parachute-jump/218418/1 "2003-12-11T20:06:58Z")

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A balloon, a cliff, an aero-plane contraption?

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**Author:** ![Qburn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/bc79bd/32.png) [@Qburn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qburn)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-from-what-was-the-first-parachute-jump/218418/2 "2003-12-11T20:46:16Z")

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Well, [these people](http://www.dropzonepress.com/parahist.htm) suggest it was a cliff, but also say the next confirmed jump was from a tower.

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**Author:** ![improbably\_blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8dc957/32.png) [@improbably\_blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/improbably_blonde)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-from-what-was-the-first-parachute-jump/218418/3 "2003-12-11T22:37:22Z")

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Thanks **Qburn**.

> [@](#):
>
> A 1,000 years ago there is evidence the Chinese had condemned prisoners jump from cliffs, using parachutes.
> 
> In 1495, over 500 years ago, Leonardo da Vinci designed a pyramid shaped chute.
> 
> Circa 1600, Fausto Veranzino jumped using a parachute from a tower in Venice.
> 
> In Thailand, in 1687, the King’s tumblers jumped from buidings with two umbrellas.
> 
> In 1783, Louis Sebastien Lenormand, of France, is generally credited with being the first to demonstrate the parachute principle.  
> :  
> :

It’s that first item that makes you wonder, was it _supposed_ to be a form of torture or entertainment.