Wright Brothers Day is observed on Dec. 17 to pay homage to Orville and Wilbur Wright, who built the world's first-ever successful motor-operated aircraft.

It all started in the late 1800s when the brothers were gifted a paper airplane by their father. They flew the airplane propelled by rubber bands until they broke it. The Wright siblings then decided to invent something which lets them fly through the air like birds and devoted their whole life to it.

After years of effort, selling kites to earn money and studying how birds fly, the Wright brothers invented large kites called "gliders" which rode on air currents. They went on to improve their design by using a rudder, and on Dec. 17, 1903, the two flew their first plane in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

The Wright Brothers Day was first proclaimed on Sep. 24, 1959, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to be observed on the anniversary of their first maiden flight. The day has since been observed annually on Dec. 17.

The Wright brothers are often lauded for taking an initiative like none other, and one that led to the momentous progress in aviation we see today.

Here are some famous quotes by the pioneers of aviation that speak volumes about the intensity of their passion for flying. (Courtesy: Thoughtco.com)

  • "The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who, in their grueling travels across trackless lands in prehistoric times, looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through." - Orville Wright
  • "The airplane stays up because it doesn't have the time to fall." - Orville Wright
  • "If birds can glide for long periods of time, then… why can't I?" - Orville Wright
  • "I am an enthusiast, but not a crank in the sense that I have some pet theories as to the proper construction of a flying machine. I wish to avail myself of all that is already known and then, if possible, add my mite to help on the future worker who will attain final success." - Wilbur Wright
  • "I confess that in 1901, I said to my brother Orville that man would not fly for 50 years." - Wilbur Wright
  • "The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who...looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space...on the infinite highway of the air." - Wilbur Wright
United Airlines has announced the biggest plane order in its history: 270 planes from Boeing and Airbus
United Airlines has announced the biggest plane order in its history: 270 planes from Boeing and Airbus AFP / Daniel SLIM
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