Today, our nation reflects with pride on a pivotal moment in history when Orville and Wilbur Wright took humanity to the skies on December 17, 1903. This Wright Brothers Day, we pay tribute to the brilliance and courage of two visionaries from Dayton, Ohio, and we continue to honor their legacy by fostering the creativity, resilience, and bold ambition that led to their groundbreaking achievement.
Although the Wright brothers had limited formal education, they compensated for it with relentless determination. Without high school diplomas, Orville and Wilbur self-educated in the mechanical and engineering disciplines necessary for constructing their first aircraft. Inspired by European gliders, they ventured into the uncharted territories of powered flight. After four years of tireless research, design, and experimentation, their perseverance culminated in a milestone event on a chilly, overcast day near Kitty Hawk. It was here that Orville successfully piloted their Flyer for 12 seconds, soaring 120 feet at just under 7 miles per hour. This momentous occasion marked the first time a human had ever lifted off the ground in a controlled, mechanized flying machine.
The Wright brothers’ extraordinary accomplishment on the windswept shores of North Carolina not only heralded a new era of innovation for humanity but also set the stage for America’s ascent as a global aviation leader. Remarkably, less than seventy years after their historic flight, their pioneering spirit propelled Americans to the moon, and my administration is committed to expanding that legacy to Mars and beyond.
We are also building upon the Wright brothers’ proud tradition by ushering in a new Golden Age of air travel and innovation. Shortly after resuming office, I signed an Executive Order aimed at restoring excellence and safety within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). We are dismantling ineffective “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” initiatives that compromise safety, instead reinstating the time-honored principle of merit in hiring practices. Moreover, through the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, we are investing $12.5 billion in modernizing air traffic control with state-of-the-art technology.
America is at the forefront of supersonic flight advancements as well. I have directed the FAA administrator to embark on groundbreaking research and development for commercial supersonic travel, aiming to integrate cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence technologies into this new frontier of air travel.
In the 122 years since the Wright brothers’ transformative flight, our nation has continuously looked skyward with wonder and ambition. As we commemorate Orville and Wilbur’s legendary accomplishment today, we renew our commitment to carry their vision into every new realm of exploration, ensuring that America’s skies remain illuminated with the innovation, discovery, and indomitable spirit that drive our nation to ever-greater heights.
