For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 17, 2003
Wright Brothers Day, 2003
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
A spirit of exploration and discovery has been a part of the
American character since our founding days. Orville and Wilbur Wright
exemplified this spirit when they made the dream of human flight a
reality on December 17, 1903. On Wright Brothers Day, we honor the
vision of these bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio, and celebrate the
centennial of manned, powered flight.
One hundred years ago, the Wright brothers changed our world with
their 12-second, 120-foot flight in North Carolina. Their achievement
inspired other aviation pioneers and marked the beginning of a new era
of freedom. Since that first flight, aviation and aerospace technology
has advanced at a remarkable pace, allowing us to fly across oceans,
break the sound barrier, orbit the Earth, land on the moon, and study
our universe in a way our ancestors could not have imagined. Each new
generation of engineers and other inventors, following in the Wright
Brothers' footsteps, continues to move the technology of flight
further.
Today, air transportation touches the lives of people throughout
the United States, and helps unite the American people. Air
transportation brings families and friends together, delivers aid to
those in need, and facilitates industry and commerce.
As we look to the future, we remember the extraordinary
accomplishments of the Wright Brothers. Their determination and
innovation continue to inspire us as we embark on the second century of
flight.
The Congress, by a joint resolution approved December 17, 1963 (77
Stat. 402; 36 U.S.C. 143) as amended, has designated December 17 of
each year as "Wright Brothers Day" and has authorized and requested the
President to issue annually a proclamation inviting the people of the
United States to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and
activities.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States
of America, do hereby proclaim December 17, 2003, as Wright Brothers
Day.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth
day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-eighth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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