700 flies in France, Zeppelins attack London... on this day.

More from Cut and Paste Aviation.

1915 - The first Zeppelins used in German bombing raids on Britain attacked Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn, and Britain suffers its first casualties from an air attack.

Germany employed three zeppelins, the L.3, the L.4, and the L.6, in a two-day bombing mission against Britain. The L.6 turned back after encountering mechanical problems, but the other two zeppelins succeeded in dropping their bombs on English coastal towns.

1784 - The largest hot-air balloon ever made, by the Montgolfier brothers, makes an ascent at Lyons, France.

Called Le Flesselle in honor of the Governor of Lyons who had sponsored the project, the balloon was 131 feet high and 104 feet in diameter with a capacity of more than 700,000 cubic feet. The ascent was watched by over 100,000 people. The balloon reached a height of 3000 feet before a combination of unfavourable winter conditions, and a failure of the balloon's fabric at a point of previous damage meant that the balloon only reached a height of 3000 feet before making a somewhat rapid descent back to earth, which left the seven aeronauts shaken but unhurt.