Trivia
Orville & Wilbur began a printing business as teenagers and, later on, a bicycle repair and manufacturing shop before their interest turned to aeronautics. The bicycle shop helped fund their flight experiments.
On December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, their ‘Wright Flyer’ became the first powered, heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flight with a pilot aboard.
The Wright brothers’ invention connected every continent in ways that would lead the world to develop the international commerce and communication that is enjoyed today.
The Wrights were considered heroes and received numerous prizes, awards, and medals, including the Legion of Honor. Royal families and heads of state were often spectators at the Wright brothers’ public flight demonstrations.
The Wright brothers were featured in Time magazine’s “Time 100” list of people who shaped our world.
The discovery of flight established a powerful cultural force that united people across the globe.
In 1909, the Wright Military Flyer was sold to the U.S. Army. It was the world’s first military airplane.