Wright Brothers

Orville and Wilbur Wright were American inventors and aviation pioneers. Wilbur was born in 1867 and Orville in 1871 in the Midwest. On December 17, 1903, they made the first controlled, powered airplane flight. They changed the world forever.

Early Life

The Wright Brothers grew up in Dayton, Ohio. Their father gave them a toy helicopter, which sparked their interest in flight. They ran a bicycle shop together. They used the money from their shop to fund their flying experiments.

A photograph of airplane inventor Wilbur Wright.
A photograph of airplane inventor Wilbur Wright. (Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright (credited as photographers) [1], [2] / Wikimedia Commons)

Big Achievements

The Wright Brothers studied how birds fly and built wind tunnels to test wing designs. On December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, they made four flights. The longest lasted 59 seconds and covered 852 feet. This was the beginning of the age of flight.

Fun Facts

  • Neither brother graduated from high school or went to college.
  • Their first flight lasted only 12 seconds and covered 120 feet.
  • They flipped a coin to decide who would fly first. Wilbur won but crashed. Orville flew successfully three days later.

Did You Know?

The Wright Brothers' airplane, the Wright Flyer, is now in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Just 66 years after their first flight, humans walked on the Moon.