On 5 September 1862 the meteorologist James Glaisher and the aeronaut Henry Coxwell rose in a balloon from Wolverhampton to study the upper atmosphere. As they climbed, temperature dropped and the air thinned. Glaisher lost consciousness at about 8,800 metres, while Coxwell's hands were frozen so he could not reach the valve cord, and pulled it with his teeth, bringing the balloon down. The pair had no oxygen and no protection from extreme cold. Their data on temperature and humidity at height was among the first, and corrected assumptions about how temperature falls with altitude.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.