The Wright Brothers

Orville WrightLibrary of Congress [Public domain]Ever since the "Air & Flight" science textbook was distributed in my grade 6 classroom, this un-conquerable dimension of nature has fascinated me. The ability to defy gravity, take to the skies, and soar above everything we have always been bound to has been my dream. I was fortunate enough to have this experience at a very young age. To this day, airplanes and the forces that propel them fascinate me. My mind, like those of Orville and Wilbur Wright, was captured right from the start by the thought of airborne travel. For the similarities we share and the conquest, ambition, and determination they showed, the Wright brothers are two of my heroes.

The bond made by two brothers has forever been known as one of strength and unwavering support. I feel this kind of closeness with my younger brother, Charlie. By co-incidence, we are also 4 years apart in age, just like the Wright brothers. Charlie and I share the same interests, likes and dislikes, and strengths and weaknesses. From personal experience, I know what brothers can accomplish when working together.

Wilbur Wright was born in 1867 while Orville was born in 1871. Wilbur was born near Millville, Indiana and Orville in Dayton, Ohio; the place where the brothers grew up and spent most of their lives. The fact that their father was a church minister had them often moving around, however, they never sold their house in Dayton and considered it their home. The brothers described the Wright family household as an abode for intellectual development. At a young age, the boys read from the family's two libraries and participated in intra-household debates. At this time, while the brothers were ages 7 and 11, they were given a toy helicopter that "sparked their interest in flight" (Wright-House). Throughout their teenage years and early manhood, the brothers opened up both a printing press and a bicycle shop, but weren't involved in any activities pertaining to flight. In 1892, when they were at the ages of 25 and 21 Otto Lilienthal, a German man who had been working tirelessly on manned flight, died in a glider crash. This act of commitment proved to Orville and Wilbur that Otto's goal was possible. It got them back into aviation. From 1900 to 1902, the Wright brothers "experimented with kites, gliders, and a wind tunnel at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina" (Wright-House). After their many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful! In 1903, they build the first manned airplane and received the patent for it. By 1905, their design could fly for over half an hour.

Wilbur WrightLibrary of Congress [Public domain]Today, the airplane remains one of the most influential inventions in history. It has not only altered travel forever, but has also made the world a drastically smaller place. The fact that these two young men had an ambitious dream and were able to accomplish it because of the talent they had and the hard work they put in makes them true heroes to me. The Wright brothers added something to the world that will be hard to top. They have created the most powerful agent of transportation that humankind can comprehend.

To many, idolizing two men who lived well before my time doesn't make sense. To me, however, the men who aspired to achieve their dream and solved the biggest mystery of all-time mesmerize me. The Wright brothers are important to me today not only because I would have never been to Paris, Beijing, or London if it wasn't for their invention, but because they are a symbol of what I strive for in academic and business life. I aspire to many of the qualities the Wright brothers showed in their invention of the airplane: dedications, hard work, focus, and confidence in one's self to name a few. The Wright brothers left a positive and lasting impact on the world, something I would like to do myself.