Concorde
Concorde flew for the first time in 1976. A British company and a French company formed a joint cooperation to fund and build 20 Concorde planes. The planes mainly flew from London and Paris to New York and Washington, DC. Flights were expensive, but passengers arrived at their destinations in less than half the usual flight time. Due to less travel after September 11, 2001, and increased costs, the planes were retired on November 26, 2003.
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh started his solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927. He left Long Island, New York, in the Spirit of St. Louis at 7:52 AM. He arrived at Paris, France, at 10:24 PM on May 21. “Lucky Lindbergh” won a $25,000 prize for his efforts. He instantly became a national hero. Idea: Children could read more about his life and the fame he faced.
1868 Boneshaker
First bicycle race was held in Paris, France, in 1868. The 1.2 km race was at the Parc De Saint-Cloud. James Moore, an Englishman, won the race on a wooden bike with iron tires inlaid with ball bearings.
Mona Lisa
Musée du Louvre opened in 1793 in Paris, France. At the opening it displayed 537 paintings. Today the museum houses over 35,000 works of art, and more than eight million people visit the museum yearly. Perhaps its most famous artwork is Mona Lisa. Children can visit its fascinating website at: Louvre for Kids.
First Parachute
Parachute jump was made for the first time in 1797. André-Jacques Garnerin dropped from a hot air balloon 3,200 feet above the city of Paris. His parachute resembled an umbrella. On the ascent, the parachute was closed. At the designated height, he cut the balloon away, opened the parachute, and landed with the gondola.
Louvre opened in Paris, France, in 1793. Probably one of its most famous paintings is the Mona Lisa. The Louvre galleries measure eight miles in total, and the museum owns over one million pieces of art. I. M. Pei designed the Louvre Pyramid, completed in 1989. The Louvre website is filled with great online tours and activities: Louvre.