The Duel That Occurred In Twin Hot Air Balloons High Above Paris
Taking the art of dueling to new heights
On May 3rd, 1808, two identical hot air balloons took to the skies in Paris. The spectacle was not an uncommon sight for the time. Hot air balloons were a fairly recent invention and the French were the pioneers in ballooning technology. The scene of twin balloons being launched from an opulent garden outside Paris caused the local populous to believe that a balloon race was about to take place. Balloon racing was very popular and soon a crowd had gathered below.
As the spectators looked up and squinted into the springtime sky it became clear that something else entirely was taking place. The men in the baskets were not trimming their balloons for a race but were rather raising glinting blunderbusses at one another.
This was a duel.
A scandalous affair
The duel had its roots in a competing courtship over a woman by the name of Mademoiselle Tirevit. The madam Tirevit was a socialite and popular opera dancer in Paris at the time. A fine catch for any willing suitor.
