A closer look
Man who gave the world the first practical parachute tested it by jumping off a building wearing his own invention, and it nearly killed him. Franz Reichelt, a tailor in early twentieth century Paris, believed his wearable parachute suit would let people safely escape burning airships. Authorities warned him to use a dummy for his Eiffel Tower test; he insisted on proving his confidence. On the cold morning of his jump, cameras rolled, crowds watched, and his invention failed to open properly. He fell and died on impact. The footage still exists. History often turns successes into inevitable stories, but progress is littered with people whose belief outpaced their prototypes. For every celebrated inventor who changed the world, there are dozens like Reichelt, remembered mainly as warnings carved into grainy black and white film.
