The Wright Brothers
The Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, were American aviation pioneers credited with inventing and building the world's first successful powered airplane and achieving the first controlled, sustained flight in 1903.
The brothers ran a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, which gave them mechanical skills and a modest income to fund their aeronautical experiments, conducted largely at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, chosen for its steady winds and soft sand for landings.
On December 17, 1903, Orville piloted the Wright Flyer for a 12-second, 120-foot flight, the first time a heavier-than-air machine achieved sustained, controlled, powered flight with a pilot aboard.
The brothers continued refining their designs over the following years, eventually developing practical aircraft that helped launch the aviation industry, fundamentally transforming transportation and warfare in the 20th century.