'The Balloon-Hoax' is the title now used for a newspaper article written by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1844. Originally presented as a true story, it detailed European Monck Mason's trip across the Atlantic Ocean in only three days in a hot air balloon. It was later revealed as a hoax and the story was retracted two days later. Poe himself describes the enthusiasm his story had aroused: he claims that the Sun building was 'besieged' by people wanting copies of the newspaper. 'I never witnessed more intense excitement to get possession of a newspaper,' he wrote. The story's impact reflects on the period's infatuation with progress.