1785: Pilâtre de Rozier, accompanied by Romain, decided to make a major attempt, having already been the first man to defy gravity in a ballooning tour of Paris that took him from Porte de la Muette to La Butte aux Cailles. The Montgolfière was blown up, the two aerostratiers took to the air. Their goal ? To cross the Channel. Unfortunately, they were never to succeed and crash-landed near Wimille.