1903Reputable sourceWell documented
The Wright Brothers
On the timeline · around 1903 ·
What happened
On 17 December 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the world's first successful flights in a powered, heavier-than-air machine. The best flight of the day lasted 59 seconds and covered 852 feet. Their breakthrough was a three-axis control system that let a pilot truly steer an aircraft.
Why it matters
The Wright brothers solved the problem of controlled powered flight that had defeated inventors for centuries, inaugurating the aerial age and pioneering the techniques of modern aeronautical engineering.
Sources
Related timelines
- Space Exploration → — The aerial age that would one day reach space