Full-Blown Balloon Facts

Interesting Facts & Trivia About Balloons

A brief history of the world’s most flexible decoration

From their introduction in 1825, it didn’t take long for balloons to become a popular addition to party celebrations. In 1847 the New York Times correctly foresaw that balloons “will always be an interesting addition to the amusements of popular gatherings”.

It wasn’t until 1907 that balloons were first manufactured in the United States. However, the popularity of such an economical and versatile party decoration ensured the use of balloons increased steadily throughout most of the 20th century. In 1912 the entrepreneurial nature of the Americans diversified the appearance and use of blow up balloons, by inventing the first sausage balloon.

Americans began twisting sausage balloons into iconic animal shapes as a creative source of amusement (and income) in around 1940, while the introduction of foil balloons in the 1970s popularised balloon printing as the foil balloons held their shape better than rubber.

Ever wondered what happens to balloons that float away?

When helium filled balloons escape tiny hands at fairs, they rise up into the atmosphere at around two metres per second, reaching a height of around 8.5 kilometres in just 90 minutes, where it is a very cool minus 40°C. Having expanded on the way up to around 7 times its original size, the balloon bursts, splintering into tiny pieces that float back down to earth where they are quickly broken down into organic matter.

Record breaking balloon trivia

According to the current Guinness World Records, the record for keeping 3 balloons in the air simultaneously was broken just last November by Josh Horton of the United States, recording a time of 11 Minutes, 8:87 Seconds.

In July 2016 a young Gideon Malone – 12 years old – also from the US, managed to fill 9 water balloons in one minute, to establish an official world record.

And on 13 October 2017, the world’s largest ever balloon zoo – with over 469.845 balloons – was created in China, proving that imagination really is the limit when it comes to the use and appreciation of the wonderful world of balloons!

Find out more about the Specialty Balloons printing process in our FAQ’s