Born on November 12, 1746, in Beaugency, France, Jacques Alexandre César Charles worked in finance before taking up aeronautics. He worked with the Robert brothers to develop the first hydrogen balloon in 1783, also becoming the first to ascend in that mode of transport. Charles was an inventor as well, teaching at the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers. He died on April 7, 1823, in Paris, France.