Claude Ruggieri

Claude Ruggieri (1777 – 30 August 1841) was a pyrotechnician in Paris, France, who developed and wrote about innovations in fireworks design. He and others in his family were renowned and patronized by royalty for their creation of great fireworks extravaganzas.^: 79–83 They also opened a public pleasure garden where fireworks displays could be enjoyed by the people of Paris.^{: 220–226 : 86} The Ruggieris introduced a style of fireworks that was theatrical rather than being based on military gunnery.^: 79–83

Following a disastrous fireworks accident on 30 May 1770, the Ruggieris fell from favor. Claude-Fortuné Ruggieri was primarily responsible for restoring the family to its position of prominence. He used the new science of chemistry to develop novel fireworks, in particular colored fireworks that distinguished the Ruggieris from their rivals.^: 77–88 He discovered a way to reliably create a vivid "green fire" observed in Russian fireworks.^{: 220–231} In his writings, Claude Ruggieri discussed "aerial philosophy",^: 85 the composition and reactions of gases or "airs". He emphasized the importance of chemistry as a form of theoretical knowledge and connected it to the artisanal practices of pyrotechnics.^: 85

Claude Ruggieri was a friend of André-Jacques Garnerin,^: 85 the Official Aeronaut of France, and experimented with both balloons and rockets.^: 89–91 Ruggieri is credited with being the first person to use rockets to transport living passengers aloft. His passengers were mostly mice and rats, but also sheep. He used parachutes to return them safely to the earth.