Washington, D.C. — The Senate has passed S. 513, a resolution recognizing December 17th as “Wright Brothers Day” and commemorating the 120th anniversary of the first powered flight.
Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Thom Tillis (R-NC), JD Vance (R-OH), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Todd Young (R-IN) were the original sponsors of the resolution, which reads:
Whereas, on December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright (referred to in this preamble as the “Wright Brothers”) of Dayton, Ohio, performed the first powered, controlled, sustained, heavier-than-air flight, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina;
Whereas the Wright Brothers continued their experiments and flights in the United States and throughout Europe for people to see the miracle of flight;
Whereas the successful first flight by the Wright Brothers launched a new era of exploration, from the solo transatlantic flight by Charles Lindbergh, to the Apollo 11 moon landing by Neil Armstrong, and beyond;
Whereas people of the United States achieved the first supersonic flight less than 50 years after the first flight by the Wright Brothers, and achieved manned spaceflight less than 60 years after the first flight by the Wright Brothers;
Whereas the modern commercial aviation system that links the world through commerce, trade, and travel owes its existence to the work of the Wright Brothers;
Whereas the 3-axis control system devised for the “Wright Flyer” remains the standard for fixed-wing aircraft;
Whereas the original “Wright Flyer” remains on display at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution on the National Mall;
Whereas the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, welcomes more than 400,000 visitors annually to the location of the first flight by the Wright Brothers;
Whereas the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park in Dayton, Ohio, welcomes more than 90,000 visitors annually to the locations where the Wright Brothers lived, worked, and conducted many test flights;
Whereas the Wright Brothers gave rise to a world of aviation supported and enjoyed by enthusiasts, hobbyists, and aeronautical professionals across the world;
Whereas the Wright Brothers finally realized the ancient and universal human aspiration to defy gravity;
Whereas, in 1959 and 1961, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, joint resolutions designating December 17 as “Wright Brothers Day”;
Whereas, in 1963, Public Law 88–209 (36 U.S.C. 143) permanently designated December 17 each year as “Wright Brothers Day”; and
Whereas the inventive, courageous, and perseverant nature of the Wright Brothers exemplifies the spirit of the United States and the people of the United States;
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
(1) recognizes December 17 as “Wright Brothers Day”;
(2) commemorates December 17, 2023, as the 120th anniversary of the first flight of Orville and Wilbur Wright; and
(3) calls on the people of the United States to observe “Wright Brothers Day” with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
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