Orville Wright

…How were they the first to fly when a lot of other people were trying to develop airplanes at the same time? And the answer is basically this. Wilbur and Orville Wright are staring at some birds one day, they're working on the airplane, and they notice that birds are constantly adjusting their wings, constantly, right? Little micro adjustments every second.…

…Even the larger phenomenon, the airship sightings across America, sputtered out by May of 1897, a few weeks after the Aurora crash. The world moved on, perhaps because within a few years, the sight of a low-flying craft became unexceptional. On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully flew the first powered airplane.…

…And later that same day, he took a military officer for a ride in the two-seater flying machine, taking another officer up three days later. The New York Times even speculated that President Theodore Roosevelt himself might fly with Orville, although Orville told reporters he didn't think the president should take such chances.…