Ascent of the Montgolfiers� �Le Gustave�, Lyon, France, 4 June 1784.

FRANCE - MAY 13: The first free flight by a woman was made by Marie Elisabeth Thible, a French opera singer, on 4 June 1784. Madame Thible made her ascent in a Montgolfier balloon, named �Le Gustave� in honour of the Swedish King, Gustav III, who witnessed the ascent. The balloon reached a height of 8500 feet (2591m) in a flight lasting 45 minutes. Illustration from �Histoire des ballons et des aeronautes celebres: 1783-1800� (History of balloons and famous aeronauts), by Gaston Tissandier (1843-1899), published in 1887. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)