17th December: Wright Brothers Day

By Presidential Proclamation, December 17th is Wright Brothers Day. Each year, a proclamation invites the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

The US Code directs that Wright Brothers Day commemorates the first successful flights in a heavier than air, mechanically propelled airplane, made by Orville and Wilbur Wright on December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

From a young age, Orville Wright and his brother, Wilbur, developed a fascination with flight. Inspired by a rubber band propelled helicopter created by the inventor, Alphonse Penaud, the brothers would dedicate their lives to the invention. They first found success manufacturing bicycles including the Van Cleve and St. Clair.

AVIATION FACTS

• The wingspan of the 747 is 120 feet, which is longer than the original Wright Brothers flight.
• Food tastes different under cabin pressure in an airplane.
• In the United States, over 6,000 passengers are flying at any given moment.
• For every hour spent flying, you can lose about two cups of water from your body. If you’re traveling cross-country, keep yourself hydrated.

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