[Born at Vidalon-lès-Annonai, in France, 1745. Died at Serrières, in
France, 1799. Aged 54.]
The son of a paper-maker. Was led by reading the philosophical writings
of Priestley to conceive the idea of employing gas, lighter than the
atmosphere, as a means of ascending through the air. His first
experiment was made at Annonai in 1783, and with such success that he
repeated it the same year in Paris, and again at Versailles before the
Court. Montgolfier was rewarded for his invention by admission to the
Academy of Sciences, the cordon of St. Michel, and a pension of 2000
livres.
251*. GASPAR MONGE. _Geometrician._
[Born at Beaunée, in France, 1746. Died in Paris, 1818. Aged 72.]
Inventor of descriptive geometry, and one of the founders of the
Polytechnic School at Paris. During the Revolution elected Minister of
Marine but soon resigning, took a personally active part in the
equipment of the army for war. Under Napoleon, visited Egypt, where his
investigations of architectural remains were incessant. His whole life
devoted to science; and his work on the history of Mathematics testifies
to his deep spirit of research. An impartial writer, but a praiser of
few.
[Bust to come.]