The Wright Brothers

These are the inspirational stories of great men and women who have blazed the next generations' trail with their remarkable feats.

FAMOUS PEOPLE

Wilbur was the older brother by about 4 years. He was born in Millville, Indiana on April 16, 1867. 

Orville was born in Dayton, Ohio on August 19, 1871. They grew up in Indiana and Ohio, moving back and forth a few times with their family. They had 5 other siblings.

As young men, the brothers went into business together, first operating a printing press, then a bicycle repair shop. 

Eventually, the duo began selling their own custom-made&nbsp;bicycles&nbsp;to customers.

The Wright Brothers didn't stop with this first flight. They continued to perfect their craft. Around a year later, in November 1904, Wilbur took their newly designed airplane, the Flyer II, to the air for the first flight lasting over 5 minutes.

In 1899 the brothers began experimenting with building their own aircrafts.

In 1900 the brothers travelled from Ohio to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to begin their flight experiments. The oceanside dunes at Kitty Hawk had regular breezes and soft, sandy landing surfaces—perfect for their studies.

The brothers first conducted tests with kites before experimenting with gliders. Both Orville and Wilbur separately piloted the gliders during their testing process.

The&nbsp;Wright brothers—Orville&nbsp;(August 19, 1871&nbsp;– January 30, 1948) and&nbsp;Wilbur&nbsp;(April 16, 1867&nbsp;– May 30, 1912)—were two American&nbsp;aviation&nbsp;pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flying the world's first successful motor-operated&nbsp;airplane.

In 1903 the brothers built an airplane called the&nbsp;Wright Flyer I,&nbsp;which featured wooden propellers the men had designed and carved themselves. The plane also had a gasoline engine.

Orville made the famous first flight. The flight took place at Kitty Hawk North Carolina on December 17, 1903. The first flight lasted 12 seconds and he flew for 120 feet. Each brother made additional flights that day that were slightly longer.

Interesting facts about the Wright Brothers

For safety concerns, the brothers' father asked them not to fly together. August 19th, Orville Wright's birthday, is also National Aviation Day. They studied how birds flew and used their wings to help design the wings for their gliders and planes. The original Wright Flyer plane from Kitty Hawk can be seen at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. On May 25, 1910, Orville flew for six minutes with Wilbur as his passenger. It was their first and only flight together.

The boys grew up loving to invent things. They got interested in flying when their dad gave them a toy helicopter that flew with the help of rubber bands. They experimented with making their own helicopters and Orville liked to build kites.

 Fascinated by the toy and its mechanics, the brothers hoped to one day build a flying machine big enough to hold them both.

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