▁succeeded ▁by ▁André - Jac ques ▁Gar ner in ▁who ▁made ▁the ▁first ▁par ach ute ▁descent ▁from ▁high ▁alt itude ▁in ▁a ▁g ond ola ▁det ached ▁from ▁a ▁bal lo on , ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁a ▁non - rig id ▁or ▁col laps ible ▁par ach ute ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 7 9 7 , ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Jean ne ▁Gene vi ève ▁Lab ros se ▁who ▁made ▁a ▁similar ▁descent ▁two ▁years ▁later . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Len orm and ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Mont pel lier ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 7 5 7 ▁as ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁clock maker . ▁Between ▁ 1 7 7 5 ▁and ▁ 1 7 8 0 , ▁he ▁studied ▁physics ▁and ▁chem istry ▁under ▁Lav ois ier ▁and ▁Ber th ol let ▁in ▁Paris , ▁where ▁he ▁also ▁got ▁involved ▁with ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁salt p eter . ▁In ▁this ▁position ▁he ▁learned ▁of ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁scientific ▁and ▁mathematical ▁knowledge ▁in ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁gun pow der . ▁After ▁returning ▁to ▁his ▁n atal ▁town , ▁he ▁worked ▁in ▁his ▁father ' s ▁clock ▁shop ▁while ▁imm ers ing ▁himself ▁in ▁the ▁intellectual ▁community ▁and ▁starting ▁his ▁experiments ▁with ▁par ach uting , ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁performance ▁of ▁a ▁Th ai ▁equilib rist ▁who ▁used ▁a ▁par as ol ▁for ▁balance . ▁Before ▁performing ▁the ▁public ▁jump ▁from ▁the ▁observ atory ▁tower , ▁Len orm and ▁tested ▁his ▁par ach utes ▁using