The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, developed the heavier-than-air human flight. Wilbur was older than Orville by four years. Orville was a trouble-maker in school and was once expelled. They both went to high school but never received their diplomas. The Wright family moved from Indiana to Dayton, Ohio in 1884, which kept Wilbur from receiving his.
Orville (left) and Wilbur (right)When the Orville and Wilbur were children, their father brought them home a toy helicopter made of cork, paper, and bamboo. The two boys loved the helicopter and played with it until it broke. They then built one themselves. They called this toy helicopter their first interest in flying.Wilbur was very competitive and athletic, and in the winter of 1885-86, he was hit in the face by a hockey stick. He lost his front teeth, and this kept him from attending Yale like he planned. Instead, he stayed home and took care of his mother who was terminally ill. Orville dropped out of high school after his junior year and started a printing business, in which Wilbur eventually helped him with. In 1892, the brothers opened up a bicycle repair and sales shop, The Wright Cycle Exchange, because the nation was very interested in bicycling. This helped fund the airplane experiments. They became interested in flight, and Wilbur was credited with being the driving force behind it. He was named the leader of the two.They experimented a lot with gliders. They picked Kitty Hawk, North Carolina as a place for testing because it was had sandy landing surfaces and regular breezes. After all of their success, the two brothers flew together one time. Their father did not want them flying together to avoid a double tragedy if something was to go wrong. Orville took their father Milton on one ride as well, which lasted seven minutes. Milton kept saying to Orville, "Higher, Orville, higher!"Wilbur died at the age of only 45, from typhoid fever in Dayton. He never married; he said he didn't have time for a wife and an airplane. He died in the family's home. Orville died at the age of 76, from a second heart attack.
These two brothers invented one of the most important things to people. They helped make the world 'flat'. Just imagine what life would be like without airplanes. These two brothers have made a huge impact in the lives of people today, and I think they were great people.-Sarah Konz
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