The English word balloon comes from the French ballon, meaning “a large ball.”

The first rubber balloons were made by Michael Faraday in 1824 for scientific experiments.

Long before rubber, people used animal intestines as a kind of proto-balloon.

Helium balloons float because helium is lighter than air. Helium is also far less flammable than hydrogen, which was once used in balloons.

The first hot air balloon was invented in 1783 by the Montgolfier brothers in France.

A weather balloon can rise up to about 19 miles before popping.

Balloon animals became popular in the 1930s, largely thanks to performer Herman Bonnert.

Balloons were often used for spying and scouting, first during the French Revolution.

Hi-Float gel helps seal balloons to keep helium inside, since helium atoms seep out of uncoated balloons much faster. Interestingly, helium is not manufactured in labs but comes from natural underground reserves.

The first living hot air balloon passengers were a sheep, a duck, and a rooster in 1783.

A balloon popping near your ear can reach 150 decibels, louder than a jet engine at 140 decibels. When a balloon bursts, pieces can move at speeds of up to 1,500 mph, which is around Mach 2.

During World War II, Imperial Japan launched Fu-Go balloon bombs, carried by the jet stream in an attempt to attack the United States. However, they were mostly unsuccessful.

The longest hot air balloon flight stretched 5,767 km, traveling from Japan to Canada.

Early balloonists were sometimes mistaken for spies and even executed, or injured by angry property owners. To avoid this, they began carrying gifts—often bottles of champagne—as peace offerings.

During World War II, the Allies used inflatable  tanks, trucks, and other vehicles to fool Axis forces into attacking decoys.

The largest balloon festival in the world is the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

A fear of balloons is called globophobia.

In 2009, Japanese entrepreneurs attempted to sell “balloon girlfriends” called Fuusen Girl to lonely men, but the idea failed quickly.

In 2011, a British company called Just Eat tried to deliver pizzas using balloons. Unsurprisingly, it failed miserably.