Milton Wright Diary Entry, Courtesy of Wright State University, viewed on Ohio Memory
Leading up to the holidays in December of 1903, Orville Wright sent a telegram home to his father, Bishop Milton Wright, about the now world-famous Wright Flyer flights of December 17th. Orville was most excited about the final flight of the day, which spanned 852 feet in 57 seconds. He barely mentions the first and most historic flight, which lasted only 12 seconds and traveled 120 feet. But that short flight was one of the great moments in history — the first controlled and sustained flight in a motorized aircraft.
At the end of the telegram, Orville writes that he and Wilbur would be home for Christmas.
It would be fascinating to know what their Christmas dinner conversation was and if they understood how much their invention would change the world. What do you think?
Check out this footage from a 1938 Army Air Corps film, posted on YouTube by the Engineers Club of Dayton:
Written by: Sharon Dean, Ph.D., Director of Museum and Library Services
