Since ancient times, human beings have been exploring safe descent and slow descent technology. The earliest concept of parachute can be traced back to ancient China, in the Western Han Dynasty around 100 BC, the "Records of the Five Emperors" recorded a legendary story that Shun used two hats to successfully jump from a height and survived when he was in the granary**. This imaginative piece of history shows the first application of the principle of air resistance by the ancients, and although the technical form of the time was far from that of the modern parachute, its basic principle of slowing the fall by unfolding the area was undoubtedly an early prototype of the parachute concept.
Over time, the design concept of parachutes has evolved and evolved across the globe. The contribution of the Arab world should not be overlooked, and centuries before the invention of the airplane by the Wright brothers, it is rumored that the Arabs had made improvised flying devices out of wooden structures and cloaks, which, if not true parachutes, were to some extent a primitive attempt at freefall control.
However, the parachute in the true sense of the word, as a scientific and technological achievement, was promoted at the end of the 18th century by the French physicist Louis Sebastien Lenormand. After an in-depth study of aerodynamics, in 1783 Le Nolment designed and tested a device with the characteristics of a modern parachute. During a bold experiment at the Montpellier Observatory, he personally used a homemade parachute to complete a high-altitude jump and successfully landed smoothly, marking the birth of the parachute as a life-saving tool.
A further development was seen in the skies over Paris on 22 October 1797, when André-Jacques Garnerin became the first man to successfully parachute from a hot air balloon, using a more advanced parachute with ribbed supports that could be folded and opened to resemble a parasol. This feat not only demonstrates the effectiveness of the parachute in practice, but also indicates that it will play a vital role in the future of aviation, military and recreational activities.
To sum up, the invention process of the parachute not only contains the keen insight of the ancient sages into the laws of nature, but also embodies the crystallization of the rigorous experiments and innovative thinking of modern scientists. From the ancient Chinese escape of the hat, to the early flight attempts of the Arabs, to the scientific breakthroughs of European physicists, the origin and development of the parachute is a testament to humanity's unremitting pursuit of defying gravity and ensuring the safety of life.