16. Ming Dynasty Astronaut ⭐ No Login

"When I give the signal," Wan Hu commanded, "light the fuses simultaneously."

In honor of this story, a crater on the far side of the moon is officially named Wan-Hoo . 16. Ming Dynasty Astronaut

In the year 1500, during the height of the Ming Dynasty, a minor local official named Wan Hu lived with his head in the clouds. While his peers obsessed over silk quotas and tax tallies, Wan Hu obsessed over the moon. He believed that if a man could harness the explosive power of gunpowder—the same "fire medicine" that defended the Great Wall—he could bridge the gap between earth and the heavens. "When I give the signal," Wan Hu commanded,

While largely considered a legend or folklore, the story of is often cited in aerospace circles as the world's first "astronaut" attempt. He believed that if a man could harness

A deafening roar shook the valley. A cloud of thick, black smoke erupted, swallowing the chair and the official entirely. When the smoke finally cleared, the courtyard was empty. There was no chair, no kites, and no Wan Hu.

First appeared in 20th-century Western literature, later becoming a popular myth.

The servants hesitated, looking at the mountain of gunpowder beneath their master. But Wan Hu’s gaze was fixed upward. He raised his hand. The torches descended.