First manned hydrogen balloon. 19th-century illustration of the ascent of the first manned hydrogen balloon 'La Charliere', launched from the Tuileries, Paris, France, on 1 December 1783, flown 43 kilometres by Jacques Charles and Nicolas-Louis Robert. Earlier flights that year were the first unmanned hot air balloon (5 June), the first unmanned hydrogen balloon (27 August), the first animal-carrying balloon (19 September), and the first manned hot air balloon (21 November). Artwork from 'Aerostation - Aviation' (1911) by French civil engineer Max de Nansouty (1854-1913), part of the 'Les merveilles de la science' series of 1867-1891 by Louis Figuier.