We all fly by the seat of our pants now and then, but how about flying with no pants at all? That was the plight of Jean-Pierre Blanchard and John Jeffries, who on January 7, 1785, made history over these chalk cliffs with the first aerial crossing of the English Channel. When their hydrogen-filled balloon dropped altitude due to overloading, the two tossed all the cargo they could into the drink below, britches included. Reaching France in their underpants, the undoubtedly chilly pilots still received a warm welcome.
Of balloons and lost pantaloons
Today in History
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Fog above the forest
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Bow Bridge in Central Park, New York City
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Hoodoos, Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
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High tide at the walled city
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
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Flock together for Cousins Day
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White Sands National Park turns 90
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Adorable activism
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National Gardening Week
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Alaska Bald Eagle Festival
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Here we honor the women who ve served
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Maybe we should be looking up
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Hidden beauty in Thailand
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Feast of the Donkey
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In praise of bogs, swamps, and marshes
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Patriot Day
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International Day of the Tropics
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European Day of Parks
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Casting a vote for women s history
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American Eagle Day
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Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Rethymno, Crete, Greece
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International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem
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Rumelihisarı in Istanbul, Türkiye
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Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC
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The Cathedral of Florence, Italy
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Aw shucks, it’s oyster season in Galway
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The old guard at Old San Juan
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An impactful day