The Wright Brothers

The Wright brothers have lived to test, build, and demonstrate their invention in front of crowds as big as 10,000 people. The Brothers invented the world’s first propelled powered airplane. They both new that it was mankind’s dream to take to the skies.

Wilbur Wright was born on April 16, 1867. His brother Orville Wright was born on August 19, 1871. The brothers had opened up a bike shop called The Wright Cycle C. They made more money selling and repairing bikes than selling papers. Wilbur had read a magazine article about Otto Lilienthal, a German engineer, who had made over two thousand flights on gliders alone. They had started having thoughts about flight in 1894.

Wilbur had written to the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian sent a list of books including works by Chanute and Langley. They needed to learn thrust, lift, and air pressure. In 1899 the Wright Glider had took to the skies on the strong winds at Kitty Hawk.

The Brothers are heroes because they built the word’s first plane. They knew that it was mankind’s dream take to the skies. And they made that dream come true.