Wright Brothers Day, observed on Dec. 17, marks the anniversary of the first successful flights in a mechanically-propelled airplane that's heavier than air.

On this day in 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright, more commonly known as the Wright brothers, made history with their first successful flights, which took place in North Carolina. This year marks the 119th anniversary of those flights.

"That morning, the brothers became the first people to demonstrate sustained flight of a heavier-than-air machine under the complete control of the pilot," noted the Library of Congress.

As always, people from across the country are invited to join some of the celebrations and festivities related to the day. Wright Brothers National Memorial in North Carolina will organize an anniversary event Saturday to commemorate the achievement. The entrance fees at the Memorial park will be waived for the day. Those who can't make it to the event can watch a live stream of the event.

People can also celebrate the day in their own simple ways like by visiting an aviation museum or going plane spotting. You can also take the time to learn more about the Wright brothers' journey toward that historic flight, or perhaps look into the lives of many iconic aviators such as Amelia Earhart, Bessie Coleman and Chuck Yeager.

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Those first flights in Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina, were only the beginning, as the Wright brothers and many others came up with more innovations to make the aviation industry what it is today.

To celebrate the day, let's look at some quotes about innovation that may just inspire you. (Courtesy: Brainy Quote, Good Reads and quotefancy)

  • "Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity, not a threat." - Steve Jobs
  • "There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period." - Brene Brown
  • "Innovation: Imagine the future and fill in the gaps." - Brian Halligan
  • "The term 'innovative' or 'innovation' is often vague or ambiguous. But in our definition, innovation means to make something which people think impossible possible." - Satoru Iwata
  • "Small daily — seemingly insignificant — improvements and innovations lead to staggering achievements over time." - Robin S. Sharma
  • "Innovation happens everywhere." - Ruth Porat
  • "Remember the two benefits of failure. First, if you do fail, you learn what doesn't work; and second, the failure gives you the opportunity to try a new approach." - Roger Von Oech
Wright Brothers Day
The Wright Flyer II biplane on wheels being pulled out onto a field Sept. 5, 1908. Getty Images/ Hulton Archive