On December 17th, 1903 the first powered controlled flight by a heavier than air craft took place. The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, had built a revolutionary machine based on a long process of experimentation and testing.
On this day at Kill Devil Hill North Carolina their Wright Flyer made a series of four flights. The first one was a mere 12 seconds and 120ft. It would have been enough for the record books, but the brothers flew their plane three more times. The longest flight being 59 seconds and 852ft.
The original Wright Flyer now resides in a place of honor at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.