Meet the Daredevil Parachutist Who Tested the First Nylon Parachute 75 Years Ago

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-daredevil-parachutist-who-tested-duponts-first-nylon-parachute-180963527/

This is a dated article (6JUN17), but it’s still worthy of review. The title of the article should now read 77 years ago!
“On this day (June 6) in 1942, in an airfield near Hartford, Connecticut, Adeline Gray fell to earth for the 33rd time. But something was different this time around: Gray wasn’t using a silk parachute. Rather, she floated down using a parachute made of nylon. She was the first person to test the nylon parachute, and it brought her nationwide fame. The approximately 50 senior military officials who were onsite to watch the test were impressed, writes Dorothy DeBisschop for the ‘Oxford Patch’.
Before World War II, most parachutes were made of silk, though some were cotton, and the majority of America’s parachute silk came from Japan. Parachutes were essential to American military strategy, not just to help pilots stay alive, but also to successfully drop troops behind enemy lines. More than 13,000 Allied paratroopers landed during D-Day, including men from the U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. Before World War II, most parachutes were made of silk, though some were cotton, and the majority of America’s parachute silk came from Japan. Parachutes were essential to American military strategy, not just to help pilots stay alive, but also to successfully drop troops behind enemy lines. More than 13,000 Allied paratroopers landed during D-Day, including men from the U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.”