Gleb Kotelnikov

About

Inventor of the first knapsack parachute, which saved countless pilots' lives.

Before Fame

He witnessed a talented pilot fall to his death, which got him to thinking about ways to prevent such horrors in the future.

Trivia

His first parachute was in use during World War I and further refinements came just in time for World War II.

Family Life

His father taught math and physics, and his mother was a talented artist.

Associated With

His work was anticipated by Leonardo da Vinci who had schematics of early parachutes, but unlike Kotelnikov's, they did not fold up into a backpack.