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 machine was a little heavy, but it flew.
We were not afraid to fail, because we knew that failure was a part of the learning process.
The machine was a little crude, but it worked.
We had to overcome many obstacles, but we never gave up.
The machine was a little noisy, but it flew.
We were not trying to build a perfect machine, but a machine that would fly.
The machine was a little unstable, but we learned to control it.
We had a dream, and we made it come true.
The machine was a little slow, but it flew.
We were not afraid to experiment, because we knew that experimentation was the key to discovery.
The machine was a little difficult to build, but we did it.
We were not trying to prove anything to anyone, but to ourselves.
The machine was a little dangerous, but we took the risk.
We were not trying to make money, but to advance the cause of science.
The machine was a little fragile, but it held together.
We were not trying to be famous, but to be useful.
The machine was a little unpredictable, but we learned to anticipate its movements.
We were not trying to conquer nature, but to understand it.
The machine was a little awkward, but it flew.
We were not trying to be heroes, but to be pioneers.
Contemporaries of Wright, Orville
Other Inventions born within 50 years of Wright, Orville (1871–1948).