Universal Encyclopedia
Who invented the airplane?
For the whole of human history, the sky was a ceiling — prayed to, wondered at, never entered. On December 17, 1903, two bicycle mechanics from Ohio held it open for twelve seconds. It has never closed since.
Last updated: October 2026
Powered, sustained, controlled flight — all three words matter, because balloons had floated and gliders had glided. The Wright Flyer, launched from the dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, flew 120 feet in 12 seconds with Orville Wright at the controls, then flew three more times that day, the longest lasting 59 seconds. A machine heavier than air had taken off, steered, and landed under its pilot’s command. The ceiling was gone.