First Parachute Jump 1797 | André-Jacques Garnerin Falls into History On October 22, 1797, André-Jacques Garnerin became the first person to parachute from a hot-air balloon over Paris. With no ripcord, no backup, and nothing but silk and courage, he plummeted back to earth—and survived. Garnerin’s daring leap didn’t just defy gravity, it invented skydiving centuries before Red Bull made it cool. first parachute jump 1797, André-Jacques Garnerin parachute, history of skydiving, October 22 1797 h