On October 22, 1797, Andrew Garnerin made the first descent with a parachute, which was made of this material.
Nylon
Linen
Silk
Cotton
Silk. Known for its light weight and great strength, silk is the natural material for a parachute. Making parachutes out of silk continued well into the 20th century and gave rise to the phrase to "hit the silk" when a pilot was forced to bail-out of a plane.