When were blimps invented?

Non-rigid ( gas bag) airships were out by maybe l902. The first female Blimp pilot, indeed operator of any powered aircraft, was Aida D"Acosta who flew the Dumont #9 solo in the Paris area in June of l903, some six months before the Wright Bros. this was a lighter-than -air craft designed and built by Brazilian engineer Alberto Santos-Dumont. Dumont also popularized the Wrist watch.