Life Summary: The Wright Brothers, Aviation Pioneers

Wilbur and Orville were brothers with different but complimentary interests—Wilbur being adept at academics and public presentation, Orville being adept at doing business. Together, they invented the world’s first successful airplane and became known as the world’s first people to successfully fly. Here is a summary of how their lives played out…

1867 – Wilbur Wright is born in Millville, Indiana, U.S.A to Milton and Susan Wright. Milton is a bishop, editor of his church’s newspaper and also a member of church councils. Susan is a home-maker. He has two older brothers Reuchlin (who would grow up to be a farmer and Lorin (who would grow up to be a book-keeper).

1871– Orville Wright is born. 3 years later, the Wright brothers have a sister, Katharine.

Wilbur’s childhood – He spends most of his time with his two older brothers. Is a member of a singing club, plays football for the school team, gets good grades in math, Greek, Latin, science and writing. He wants to become a teacher.

Orville’s childhood – Not good in school. In his free time, he finds ways to make money by putting on a circus and arranging a parade through town. He also builds kites and toys with Wilbur for them to play with.

Age 17+13 – The Wright family moves to Dayton, Ohio.

18+14 – Wilbur suffers an injury in the face while playing hockey. He leaves school to recover from these injuries and never graduates from high school. While his face is healing, he develops other medical problems in his heart and stomach. He becomes very depressed. Over the next few years, he helps his mother at home and reads books on history, science, nature and religion from the family’s library.

Age 22+18 – Orville builds his own printing press and publishes his own newspaper—‘West Side News’. Later that year, their mother dies from tuberculosis and Wilbur joins his brother’s print business.

Age 25+21 – Orville and Wilbur each get new bikes and begin to ride around Dayton. Orville wins a few local bicycle races. When their friends begin bringing their bicycles to their print shop to repair, they open a new business—The Wright Cycle Exchange—to fix bicycles, sell parts and tires and also bikes they made, both affordable and expensive. Their experience with the newspaper helps them get new customers.

Age 29+25 – Orville becomes ill with typhoid fever, Wilbur cares for him. Around them, Thomas Edison is inventing the lightbulb, Alexander Graham Bell is inventing the telephone and the first automobiles are being built. There are also people trying to build flying machines. The race to be the first to fly begins. Wilbur begins studying aviation. He and Orville experiment with wings, engines and controls over the next few years.

Age 33+29 – Their first glider is ready. They travel to Kitty Hawk over the next 3 winters to test their gliders.

Age 34+30 – Wilbur talks about their work with gliders to a group of engineers in Chicago. This is the first time their work is made public.

Age 35+31 – Their latest glider works best. They are now sure they can make a powered airplane.

Age 36+32 – They add a motor and propeller to their glider design over the next year in Dayton, creating their first airplane. When that is done, they return to Kitty Hawk to test it out. The first test fails and crashes. The second test lasts 12 seconds and travels 120 feet, but it works—it is the first airplane in history to fly. They do 4 flights in total that day, the longest lasting 57 seconds. They return to Dayton and work on making their airplane fly faster and further.

Age 38+34 – The Wright Flyer is perfected. Over the next 3 years, the brothers try to sell their airplane to the U.S. Army. The army says no.

Age 41+37 – The brothers resume testing at Kitty Hawk, garnering the attention of press. Wilbur goes to Paris and does a demonstration there. The reports from France convince the world that their airplane does work. Wilbur also joins competitions and captures flying prizes for distance and height. The U.S. Army finally gives the brothers a contract to produce planes and train pilots.

Age 42+38 – The brothers start receiving awards from Congress, the Smithsonian Institution and flying clubs. They are even invited to the White House to meet the President. They do more demonstrations in New York City. The Wright Airplane Company opens in Dayton—made of a large factory and a warehouse.

Age 43+39 – Copycat inventors start using the brothers’ designs without permission. Wilbur becomes more busy with suing infringers than with flying.

Age 45+41 – Wilbur becomes ill with typhoid and dies.

Age 44 – Orville sells his part of the company for $1million and retires. He lives in Hawthorn Hill—a huge mansion designed by the brothers—and continues to promote air travel. Like Wilbur, he never marries.

Age 61 – A monument to the brothers is built at Kitty Hawk.

Age 76 – Orville dies from a heart attack.

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Photographs: Public Domain. Compiler: Sy
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