▁– ▁April ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 8 3 7 ) ▁was ▁a ▁French ▁chem ist , ▁phys ic ist , ▁invent or , ▁and ▁a ▁pione er ▁in ▁par ach uting . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁considered ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁man ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁witness ed ▁descent ▁with ▁a ▁par ach ute ▁and ▁is ▁also ▁cred ited ▁with ▁co ining ▁the ▁term ▁par ach ute , ▁from ▁the ▁Latin ▁prefix ▁para ▁meaning ▁" ag ain st ", ▁an ▁imper ative ▁form ▁of ▁par are ▁= ▁to ▁avoid , ▁a vert , ▁defend , ▁resist , ▁guard , ▁shield ▁or ▁shr oud , ▁from ▁par o ▁= ▁to ▁par ry , ▁and ▁the ▁French ▁word ▁ch ute ▁for ▁" fall ", ▁hence ▁the ▁word ▁" par ach ute " ▁literally ▁means ▁an ▁aer onaut ic ▁device ▁" ag ain st ▁a ▁fall ". ▁After ▁making ▁a ▁jump ▁from ▁a ▁tree ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁a ▁pair ▁of ▁modified ▁um bre ll as , ▁Len orm and ▁ref ined ▁his ▁contra ption ▁and ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 7 8 3 ▁jump ed ▁from ▁the ▁tower ▁of ▁the ▁Mont pel lier ▁observ atory ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁a ▁crowd ▁that ▁included ▁Joseph ▁Mont g olf ier , ▁using ▁a ▁ 1 4 - foot ▁par ach ute ▁with ▁a ▁rig id ▁wooden ▁frame . ▁His ▁intended ▁use ▁for ▁the ▁par ach ute ▁was ▁to ▁help ▁entra pped ▁occup ants ▁of ▁a ▁burning ▁building ▁to ▁escape ▁un har med . ▁Len orm and ▁was