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Wright BrothersBrothers Wilbur and Orville Wright are credited with creating and flying the world’s first heavier-than-air, controlled, crewed aircraft. One-time bicycle mechanics with only some public high school education, the two made history in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on Dec. 17, 1903, when they successfully flew a 600-pound, 40-foot-wide plane over 120 feet in 12 seconds under its own power. Building on the work of gliding pioneers, the pair invented the three-axis control system—a standard in aircraft today—to control the plane’s flight at every stage, allowing pilots to direct movement from nose to tail (roll), wing to wing (pitch), and top to bottom (yaw). Their scientific, documented approach to aviation pioneered the use of wind tunnels, aluminum crankcases in engines, and more, laying the foundation for the industry. Adoption and large-scale production of their airplanes took time, in part because many observers doubted their claims and the practicality of powered flight. In 1908, a series of public demonstration flights in the US and France finally convinced skeptics and brought the Wright brothers international fame, spurring a wave of competitors, imitators, and lawsuits.Explore Wright Brothers

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President Barack Obama compared Grace Hopper to the Wright BrothersWhen posthumously awarding Hopper with the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation's highest civilian honor—on Nov. 22, 2016, the former president remarked, "If Wright is flight, and Edison is light, then Hopper is code. [...] From cell phones to [US] Cyber Command, we can thank Grace Hopper for opening programming to millions more people." US Navy The Wright brothers' sister hyped their work, and was the only one to attend collegeKatharine Wright became the de facto household caretaker after their mother, Susan, died, when Katharine was 15. After graduating from Oberlin, Katharine took over household duties so her father and brothers could work. She promoted their work in the US and abroad. HISTORY The iconic photo of the Wright brothers' first flight was the photographer’s firstUsing a then-state-of-the-art Korona V, rescue member John T. Daniels was tasked with squeezing the device’s rubber bulb the moment the plane left the wooden track on the sand. The camera produced negatives on 5 by 7 sheets of glass. HISTORY The Wright brothers began as bicycle manufacturers in Dayton, OhioIn the late 1800s, the duo managed several bike shops in the Dayton, Ohio area, where they would sharpen their teeth in engineering and design. Some of their earliest aviation efforts were funded by their bicycle business and initiated in their bike shops. Henry Ford How did the Wright brothers invent the airplane?This article explores the research processes that led Wilbur and Orville Wright to invent the airplane and includes photos and visualizations of their findings and inventions. Smithsonian Institution What do people do once GLP-1 medications succeed at weight loss?The drugs have been adopted by 1 in 8 Americans, with many achieving their prescribed weight loss. They now face the question of how to keep the weight off, the key issue with any weight loss program that researchers have known about for decades. Each case is unique. Some folks continue to use GLP-1s like Ozempic in minuscule doses, while others taper them off over time. The Conversation Museums are updating their approach to wall texts amid 8-second-long attention spansThe explanatory text found next to art in museums has long been integral to the exhibit experience, helping provide context for artists, the piece, and cultural movements. Some institutions are removing the texts to allow visitors to interpret the pieces unaided; others are seeking to optimize length or recruit a variety of perspectives—called "labelists"—to offer less authoritative context for the pieces. The Art Newspaper Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers' 'Islands in the Stream' was written by the Bee GeesThe Gibbs originally penned the song for themselves, but the brothers didn’t think it was the right fit, so they reworked it as an R&B number with Diana Ross or Marvin Gaye in mind; however, nothing came of those ideas. It was then pitched to country star Kenny Rogers, who wasn’t sure he was the right fit, though Barry Gibb convinced him it would work as a duet with Parton, who was recording in a nearby studio. Backstage Country Watch an amateur fly a 1902 Wright glider at the Kitty Hawk dunesBilly Vaughan recreates the test flights of the Wright gliders in the exact location the brothers conducted them. He argues an October 1902 glider flight—not the December 1903 one—was the key innovative moment, implementing three-axis control. Host Baratunde rides a glider in perfect windy conditions in this re-creation. PBS The first flight on Mars carried a piece of the Wright plane with itIn April 2021, the solar-powered helicopter Ingenuity—attached to NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover—flew in what became the first controlled flight on a planet other than Earth. Carried with it was a piece of fabric from the famous 1903 Wright Flyer, a symbol of Ingenuity’s continuation of the Wright tradition. Astronomy Magazine Famed historian David McCullough on five things to know about the WrightsThe bestselling author of popular, beloved histories on US presidents, engineering feats and disasters published a study of the Wrights in 2015. Here. he highlights five key facts to know about the brothers, including that their efforts were bootstrapped—meaning they paid for their work themselves with no outside investors. Simon & Schuster Books Some claim the Wrights weren’t first in flightTheir scientific and engineering achievements aside, the Wrights’ claim to be first in flight is debated—and rejected—by some in the industry. Other early pioneers like Gustave Whitehead or Alberto Santos-Damonto are said to deserve the title. HISTORY The Wrights battled inventor Glenn Curtiss for market dominance, ultimately losingTheir 1903 flights were met with skepticism, and the pair were hesitant to conduct public demonstrations. By 1908, Curtiss developed his own airplane, successfully flying a mile in front of judges and winning the nation’s first pilot license. The Wrights sued for patent infringement, sparking a business war. Mountain Home Mag Watch a 1908 Wright Flyer demo with Wilbur and a passenger near Le Mans, FranceOne of the earliest filmed flights, this demonstration in France helped dispel doubts over the Wrights’ claims to powered, controlled flight. Such demos helped launch the pair to fame five years after their seminal flight in Kitty Hawk. CriticalPast The pair began their aviation research by studying the 'mechanics' of birdsTaking inspiration from gliding pioneer Otto Lilienthal—whose gliders resembled the wings of birds—Wilbur took to observing birds to understand how they do it, in order to solve the problem of flight. This opening episode on the brothers explores their lives and accomplishments. American History Tellers Their 1901 Wind Tunnel system revolutionized the study of aeronauticsOnly the second to be built in the US, the wind tunnel allowed the brothers to study how air moves around more than 200 different wing shapes. This data helped them refine a key math equation, long held as the standard, that had been based only on one wing shape. Wright Brothers The 1910 Wright Model B was the brother’s most successful aircraftThe model, built from 1910 to 1914, was the first designed to be constructed in bulk, with four built each month in 1911 and 1912. The two-seater was used in exhibition flights and training for some of the earliest uses of airplanes in military contexts. Field of Firsts Wilbur published key papers, gave speeches in the burgeoning aviation communityMuch of the theoretical work is credited to Wilbur, whose scientific mind observed birds and early pioneers to discover the key problem to solve was control. This 1901 speech surveys the recent work in the field and showcases what the brothers worked on two years before their breakthrough flight. Journal of Western Society of Engineers The public mostly doubted the Wrights’ flight claims for five yearsCoverage of the pair’s success often described them as barely educated bike mechanics. They struggled to gain traction with the public. It took interest from French business leaders and the US Signal Corps to bring the pair into separate demonstrations of their planes. Encyclopedia Britannica The Wrights were inspired by a toy helicopter as kidsThe pair tinkered with toys and dreamed of building a flying machine at a young age. Founders Podcast host David Senra read David McCullough’s 2015 book on the duo and distilled key insights for leaders to take from their work and lives, focusing on their relentless resourcefulness. Founders Orville and Wilbur argued over everything, likely accelerating their progressThe two never married, and focused solely on their goal of achieving flight. While both were socially reserved, they were passionate about their project, regularly debating—even shouting—over the details of propellers, engines, wings and more. This video explores how their culture of open argument likely fueled their discoveries. Newsthink What Kitty Hawk looks like today, including a 60-foot memorial to the brothersThis short video surveys the flat, empty expanse near Kill Devil Hills in North Carolina’s barrier islands, highlighting the area’s attractive conditions for early flight. Also shown are the stone monument to the Wright’s and replica wooden shacks like the ones they lived in those fateful years. Smithsonian Channel Using wind tunnels, the brothers corrected a centuries-old error used to measure liftWhen their early gliders failed, the Wright brothers scrutinized inherited data analysis. Smeaton’s coefficient had been used to calculate the density of air (0.005) for centuries. The Wright’s data validation through the use of small, laboratory wind tunnels showed the correct number was 0.0033. Atlan | Humans of Data The Wrights descended from English-born migrants to Boston in the 1630sSamuel Wright was a Puritan who arrived in Massachusetts just two decades after the Pilgrims. His great-great-grandson Daniel Wright, born in Connecticut in 1757, fought in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, seeing action at the Battle of Saratoga. National Air and Space Museum See shots of the Wright Flyer intact at the National Air and Space MuseumSince the museum’s opening in 1976, the wood-and-muslin plane has been available for public viewing with a model of Orville, the younger brother, lying on the plane’s mid-section. National Air and Space Museum The Flyer sat in a shed for 13 years behind the brothers’ Dayton bike shopWhile the wood is the same used in the 1903 flight, the muslin has been replaced twice. After laying forgotten in sheds, the vehicle eventually took on national importance. However, the Smithsonian Institution did not recognize it until the 1940s, after it spent time at the Science Museum in London. National Air and Space Museum See a timeline of early flights, patent approvals and the birth of the Wright CompanyThe brothers’ most intense period of creativity and progress came between 1901 and 1910, when their work at Kitty Hawk culminated in the first powered flight. The pair, however, were not the most business-savvy, and they struggled to take financial advantage of their pioneering work in the field. The Library of Congress Kitty Hawk’s wide space, isolation and winds were ideal for flight experimentsNorth Carolina’s Outer Banks at the turn of the 20th century were not the summer resort destinations they are today. The brothers sought privacy as they toyed with their aviation designs, camping in Kill Devil Hills and using its sand dunes as launch points for early glider designs. National Air and Space Museum Warren Buffett wrote a letter on why a seller should sell his business to his firmIn Berkshire Hathaway's 1990 Annual Letter, Warren Buffett included an edited version of a letter he sent to a man who indicated he might want to sell his family business. This short letter is a masterclass in selling and differentiating your product from the competition. Daniel Scrivner View a gallery of bioluminescent organisms, including jellyfish and mushroomsSome species produce a quick flash of light, while others glow steadily with an eerie glow, often to seek attention or in response to being disturbed. Snails, worms, fungi, and other organisms highlight that this ability evolved independently, rather than from one common ancestor. Live Science Fallingwater revived Frank Lloyd Wright’s career at age 67 A series of scandals and financial setbacks made Wright lose his previous relevance, leaving the public to view him as a “has-been.” Following the creation of Fallingwater, a masterpiece set atop a waterfall, Wright saw an uptick in commissions and continued to produce inspired buildings at an age that many others would retire by. HISTORY Watson and Crick revealed DNA's double-helix structure using others' key findingsTheir 1953 model, made from cardboard cutouts, explained how DNA stores genetic information through base pairing. Rather than experimenting and collecting their own data, they incorporated patterns and data from other scientists through trial and error. Nature While annuities can guarantee an income for risk-averse investors, they may play it too safe for othersWhether or not an annuity is the right investment option depends on the buyer’s unique needs. People who plan to retire soon are more likely to opt for the lower-risk investment, but there may be opportunity costs for people seeking higher returns. U.S. News & World Report Illinois rolled back its happy hour legislation in 2015, opting to cap reduced-price drink sales at 15 hours per week and prohibit them after 10 pm insteadIn this episode of the podcast “The Right to Drink,” alcohol expert and host Jarrett Dieterle explains why some states allow happy hour while others don’t. The host also dives into the fight to change happy hour legislation across the US. R Street Institute How a Harlem Renaissance poet teamed up with a Wright brotherPaul Laurence Dunbar is one of the most influential poets from the Harlem Renaissance, a loose collection of Black artists who redefined American literature in the early 20th century. He was also an entrepreneur. He founded a short-lived newspaper, the Dayton Tattler, alongside Orville Wright, one of the famous Wright Brothers who pioneered aviation. This article explores how their friendship defied the societal norms of the time and led to a pioneering publication. Literary Hub 19th-century Americans used technology to try to prove the existence of ghostsIn the 19th century, following technological advancements like the telegraph, phonograph, and others, efforts were made to capture proof of ghosts. These technologies seemed supernatural in their own right and emerged at the same time Spiritualism took off in the US, resulting in new approaches to connecting with the dead. Science History Institute 'Instagram traps' are changing art museumsIn the creator economy era, it feels like anyone has the potential to become an influencer—if they can just capture the right content. Naturally, some places are better suited for an Instagram photo than others. Museums-turned-photo-backdrops (think: the Museum of Ice Cream) are the best of the best. Vox Roughly one in every 250 has never remembered a single dreamMost people dream for about two hours every night and recall about two dreams per week, and memory encoding is especially fragile upon waking. Alarms can knock dreams right out of one's head, and dream recall may be influenced by personality, interest, and socialization. Discover

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