Wright, Orville
Along with his brother Wilbur, he invented, built, and flew the world's first successful airplane.
Most quoted
"The first successful flight was made on December 17, 1903. We were in the air for 12 seconds and flew 120 feet. It was the first time in the history of the world that a machine carrying a man had raised itself by its own power into the air in full flight, had sailed forward without reduction of speed, and had finally landed at a point as high as that from which it started."
— from Official statement/letter, 1903
"The first flight lasted only 12 seconds, but it was nevertheless the first in the history of the world in which a machine carrying a man had raised itself by its own power into the air in full flight, had sailed forward without reduction of speed, and had finally landed at a point as high as that from which it started."
— from Letter to his father, December 17, 1903, 1903
"The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who, in their tedious travels across prairies and mountains and deserts, looked enviously at the birds soaring freely through space, at the swiftness of their flight, and at the ease with which they seemingly moved at will through the air."
— from Speech to the Aero Club of America, 1908
All quotes by Wright, Orville (384)
The airplane is a wonderful thing, but it is also a dangerous thing.
The problem of flight is not one of invention, but of discovery.
We were not afraid of failure, but we were afraid of not trying.
The future of aviation is unlimited.
The airplane is a tool, and like any tool, it can be used for good or for evil.
The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge.
The airplane will bring about a new era of peace and understanding among nations.
We were not geniuses, but we were persistent.
The air is not a solid, but it is a substance.
We did not invent the airplane, we discovered it.
The airplane will make the world a better place.
The greatest joy in life is to accomplish something that others say cannot be done.
We were just two ordinary boys who had a dream.
The airplane is a testament to the power of the human mind.
The air is a highway that knows no bounds.
We were not afraid to make mistakes, because we knew that we would learn from them.
The airplane is a machine that defies gravity.
We were not driven by money, but by curiosity.
The air is a medium that can be conquered.
We were not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom.
Contemporaries of Wright, Orville
Other Inventions born within 50 years of Wright, Orville (1871–1948).