How did the wright brothers change history?

One hundred years ago today, a machine carrying a person made a brief and wobbly flight. As Wilbur Wright watched his brother Orville guide their flying machine into the air, the past and the future separated and the world started shrinking. read more

The Wright Brothers also invented lots of other really important stuff along with the first Wright Flyer. They were the first to use wind tunnels to extensively test designs, and that method is still what every aircraft designer still does to this day. The Wright Brothers also improved their original design so that it could fly longer, faster, etc. read more

The Wright brothers owned a bike shop in Dayton, Ohio, before making strides in aviation. They began testing both manned and unmanned gliders, and on Dec. 17, 1903, they had their first successful flights. read more

The Wright brothers soon found that their success was not appreciated by all. Many in the press, as well as fellow flight experts, were reluctant to believe the brothers’ claims at all. As a result, Wilbur set out for Europe in 1908, where he hoped he would have more success convincing the public and selling airplanes. read more