The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, are renowned for their pioneering work in aviation.¹⁾

Orville Wright was born on August 19, 1871, in Dayton, Ohio, and Wilbur Wright was born on April 16, 1867, near Millville, Indiana.²⁾

They were the sons of Milton Wright, a bishop in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, and Susan Catherine Koerner Wright.³⁾

The brothers were exceptionally close and worked together on numerous projects throughout their lives.⁴⁾

Orville and Wilbur Wright had two older brothers, Reuchlin and Lorin, and a younger sister named Katharine.⁵⁾

Their interest in flight was sparked by childhood toys like kites and rubber band-powered helicopters.⁶⁾

The Wright brothers ran a printing business in Dayton, Ohio, which provided them with the funds to pursue their aviation experiments.⁷⁾

They were largely self-educated and avid readers, with a particular interest in books about flying machines.⁸⁾

In 1892, Wilbur Wright suffered a serious injury while playing ice hockey, which caused him to be bedridden for several months. During his recovery, he became engrossed in reading about birds and their flight.⁹⁾

Orville and Wilbur initially experimented with gliders before moving on to powered flight.¹⁰⁾

Their first successful powered airplane, the Wright Flyer, flew on December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.¹¹⁾

The first flight lasted only 12 seconds and covered a distance of 120 feet.¹²⁾

Orville piloted the first flight, with Wilbur running alongside to help stabilize the aircraft during takeoff.¹³⁾

Over the course of the day, they made four flights, with the longest lasting 59 seconds and covering a distance of 852 feet.¹⁴⁾

The Wright Flyer was made of wood, fabric, and wire, and it was powered by a 12-horsepower engine.¹⁵⁾

Their breakthrough in aviation was largely due to their innovative design of a three-axis control system, which allowed for precise control of the aircraft.¹⁶⁾