Orville Wright and his elder brother, Wilbur Wright, were the inventors of the world’s first successful airplane and are considered the “fathers of modern aviation.” The Wright brothers successfully conducted the first free, controlled flight of a power-driven airplane on December 17, 1903. Orville was the more mischievous of the two brothers and was also a champion bicyclist. Orville’s adventurous nature and drive to succeed combined with his brother Wilbur’s research skills to achieve what is considered by many to be the greatest, most influential accomplishment of the 20th century. Orville was born on this day in 1871 in Dayton, Ohio.
Note: Wilbur and Orville Wright resided in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in their youth.
