12 November 1859: Jules Leotard's flying trapeze

On this day in 1859, Jules Leotard performed the world’s first ever flying trapeze act, wowing audiences in the Cirque Napoleon in Paris.

Jules Leotard was born in Toulouse, where his father was a gymnastics teacher who also ran a swimming pool. The young Leotard practised in his father's gym, and became expert on the parallel bars. Soon, he began to experiment with a trapeze hung over the pool.

At the age of 18, despite studying to become a lawyer, he decided to join Victor Franconi's Cirque Napoleon in Paris. And it was here in 1859 that he introduced the world to his flying trapeze act. In the course of his 12-minute routine, he became the first person to perform a mid-air somersault, and the first to leap from one trapeze to another.

He brought his act to London in 1861, and he was a smash hit in music halls and pleasure gardens. He was reputed to be paid £180 a week – the equivalent of £5,000 in today's money.

Now, however, he is perhaps more remembered for the item of clothing he invented than for his mid-air feats of derring-do. His maillot – now of course, known as the leotard – not only allowed him free movement, with no chance of getting entangled in the trapeze, but it showed his... physique... to good effect.

This made him something of a hit with the ladies. And his charms were commemorated in the 1867 song The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze (written by George Leybourne and Gaston Lyle), which tells of how a young maiden eloped with a trapeze artist, devastating her paramour.

But Leotard's sparkling career was cut short early. He died in 1870, in Spain, aged 28. Not, perhaps surprisingly, from crashing to the ground, but of smallpox, (or perhaps cholera, nobody is quite sure).

Recommended

Who is the richest person in the world?
Entrepreneurs

Who is the richest person in the world?

Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Elon Musk are among the richest people in the world, but the top spot belongs to someone else.
7 Jun 2023
The building blocks for an income strategy: resilience, growth and diversification
Advertisement Feature

The building blocks for an income strategy: resilience, growth and diversification

Iain Pyle, Investment Manager, Shires Income plc
7 Jun 2023
Saving vs investing: which is better to help you make more money?
Personal finance

Saving vs investing: which is better to help you make more money?

Saving has become a more attractive option with interest rates hitting the highest levels seen in years, but if you’re prepared to take some risk inve…
7 Jun 2023
Look beyond familiar stockmarkets for reliable returns in rough times
Share tips

Look beyond familiar stockmarkets for reliable returns in rough times

A professional investor tells us where he’d put his money. This week: Giles Parkinson, managing director of global funds at Close Brothers Asset Manag…
7 Jun 2023

Most Popular

Best savings accounts – June 2023
Savings

Best savings accounts – June 2023

Interest rates have been creeping up - we look at the best savings accounts on the market right now.
6 Jun 2023
Nationwide to give £100 cash boost to customers
Personal finance

Nationwide to give £100 cash boost to customers

Nationwide Building Society is giving customers £100 as it reinvests profits. Dubbed the Nationwide Fairer Share scheme, we look at who is eligible.
22 May 2023
How much will it cost you to retire early?
Pensions

How much will it cost you to retire early?

The pre-state pension income gap means couples may need an extra £136,000 if they want to retire at 60 – can you afford to retire early?
6 Jun 2023