invention of the parachute

The parachute was invented as a way to slow a person’s descent from high altitudes, increasing safety during falls. Early concepts date back to Leonardo da Vinci in the 15th century, who sketched designs for a pyramid-shaped canopy. In 1914, Frenchman Charles Renard and others developed more practical models, but it was not until the 1910s and 1920s that real advancements were made by engineers like Louis-Sébastien Lenormand and later, parachute pioneer Gleb K. Kotelnikov. These designs used lightweight fabrics and harnesses to deploy a canopy that increases air resistance, allowing controlled, safe descents from aircraft or heights.