Tissandier, Gaston, 1843-1899

Gaston Tissandier, aeronaut and scientist; Gaston's brother, Albert, an aeronaut and artist; Gaston's son, Paul, an aeronaut; and Dupuis-Delcourt, an airship builder.

From the description of Tissandier collection on the history of aeronautics, 1539-1929 (bulk 1780-1920). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70981202

Biographical Note

Gaston Tissandier

• 1843, Nov. 21: Born, Paris, France
• circa1860 - 63 : Graduated, Lycée Bonaparte, Paris, France Studied chemistry with P. P. Dehérain, Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France Graduated, the Sorbonne, Paris, France
• 1864: Appointed director, Laboratoire d'essai et d'analyse de l'union nationale, Paris, France
• 1867: Published L'eau. Paris: Hachette
• 1868, Aug.16: First balloon flight, with aeronaut Durouf
• 1869 - 1870 : Published with P. P. Dehérain Traité élémentaire de chimie. Paris: Hachette
• 1870 - 1871 : Made balloon flights out of Paris with brother Albert Tissandier during the Franco-Prussian War; the Tissandiers directed aerial observation for the Army of the Loire in the latter months of the war
• 1871: Published Les merveilles de la photographie. Paris: Hachette
• 1872: Published Les ballons dirigibles. Paris: Dentu Made chevalier of the Legion d'honneur
• 1873 - 1897 : Founder and editor of La nature
• 1875, Apr. 15: Ill-fated flight of the balloon Zenith, aeronauts Gaston Tissandier, Croce-Spinelli, and Sivel
• 1876: Received la grand médaille d'or from the Société française de navigation aérienne which he also served as president
• 1878 - 1888 : Published nine editions of Histoire de mes ascensions. Paris: Dreyfous
• 1881: Exhibited a working model of an electric-powered, propeller-driven dirigible, L'exposition d'électricité, Paris, France
• 1883, Oct. 8: With his brother, Albert, successfully piloted the first electric-powered dirigible, La France, designed and constructed by the Tissandiers
• 1883: Published L'ocean aérien; études météorologiques. Paris: Masson
• 1885: Published Les ballons dirigible: application de l'électricité à la navigation aérienne. Paris: Tremblay
• 1887: Published Bibliographie aéronautique. Paris: Hachette
• 1887 - 1890 : Published Histoire des ballons et des aéronautes célèbres. Paris: Launette
• 1889: Appointed member of commission for military aviation, French Ministry of War
• 1890: Appointed member of commission for civil aviation, French Ministry of the Interior
• 1899, Aug. 30 (?): Died, Paris, France

From the guide to the Tissandier Collection on the History of Aeronautics, 1539-1929, (bulk 1780-1920), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)