On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright were the first people to successfully build and fly an airplane. They were also the first to use a flight control system. The Wright brothers invented a three axis control system. The pilot of the aircraft was now able to accurately steer the airplane and also control the balance of the aircraft. Orville and Wilbur focused on building a more dependable and consistent way of flying rather than inventing a more powerful engine like all the other people of that time. They obtained their engineering skills necessary for these inventions by working for many years in their shop with printing presses, bycicles, motors, and various other types of equipment. 
Wilbur and Orville chose Kitty Hawk, North Carolina because they needed to test their inventions at a place with high wind conditions. From 1900-1902, they tested kites, gliders, and a wind tunnel to see how their wing designs would hold up. In 1908, Orville made history again by flying a plane for over one hour in Fort Meyer, Virginia, during a display for the U.S. Army. The Wright brothers also conducted over 100 flights in Le, Mans France, with one of them setting a world record flight length of 2 hours and 19 minutes. Neither of the brothers ever married and Wilbur died at age 45 from typhoid and Orville lived much longer when he finally died at age 77 from a heart attack.
I'm sure someone would have eventually invented the airplane, but just think how different life would be without it. People wouldn't be able to travel as easily or as often without the airplane. I couldn't imagine life without it. The airplane totally changed the means of transportation and the Wright brothers will always be remembered for altering the way of life.
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