December 17·Every year

Wright Brothers Day

On December 17th, 1903, Orville Wright flew 120 feet in 12 seconds near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina — the first controlled, powered, sustained heavier-than-air flight. Wilbur had lost the coin toss to go first three days earlier. By the end of the day they had made four flights; the longest was 852 feet in 59 seconds. Twenty years later, the entire flight distance fit inside a Boeing 747.