Wright Brothers Day, 2021
| Published date | 21 December 2021 |
| Citation | 86 FR 72505 |
| Record Number | 2021-27841 |
| Section | Presidential Documents |
| Court | Executive Office Of The President |
Presidential Documents
72505
Federal Register
Vol. 86, No. 242
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
Title 3—
The President
Proclamation 10324 of December 16, 2021
Wright Brothers Day, 2021
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved a feat that
humankind had dreamed of since time immemorial—a sustained, controlled,
powered flight that opened the skies to all humanity. Today, we honor
the extraordinary achievements of the Wright Brothers and celebrate their
enduring contributions to America’s unparalleled leadership in flight.
Many intrepid souls had tried and failed at what the two brothers from
Dayton, Ohio—inventors, engineers, dreamers—were able to achieve. After
years of designing, testing, and building the Wright Flyer in their hometown
workshop, they launched it into flight from the sand dunes and wind of
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on that historic day—covering 120 feet in 12
seconds and taking humankind into a new era.
The first flight made history, but it was only the beginning. The Wright
Brothers kept innovating. With every flight, they learned how to improve
their techniques and their flying machine. As the flights lengthened, their
acclaim grew, and they drew interest from people across our Nation and
around the world. The Wright Brothers’ unyielding dedication, creativity,
and bravery gave birth to modern aviation—skyrocketing our Nation’s leader-
ship in flight, and inspiring generations of Americans to take to the skies.
From Amelia Earhart’s daring solo flights across the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans, to the Tuskegee Airmen’s heroic defense of our country in World
War II, to brave astronauts who ventured to the Moon and beyond—America’s
ingenuity and innovation has continued to soar to new heights. We were
the first to break the sound barrier. The first to fly non-stop around the
world. Today, we are developing more sustainable fuels and energy sources
for the planet, technologies to coordinate increases in air traffic, and satellite
systems that can clean up manmade debris in space—and we are harnessing
our resources and knowledge from decades of flight missions to take on
the existential threat of climate change.
And 118 years after the Wright Brothers’ flight into history, earlier this
year the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) historic
Perseverance mission launched the Ingenuity rotorcraft—a small helicopter—
10 feet above the surface of Mars. It was the first powered, controlled
takeoff and landing on another celestial body. Tucked beneath the propellers
was a small cloth taken from the wing of the original Wright Flyer, which
now resides at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Wash-
ington, D.C. The ground over which Ingenuity hovered is now called Wright
Brothers field—an everlasting reminder of America as the Nation of possibili-
ties.
As we continue to build our progress in flight and space technology, we
honor our hard-working pilots, aircrews, astronauts, and aviation scientists
that make flying possible across the globe. They represent some of the
best of who we are as Americans—restless, bold, and optimistic. Thanks
to the tenacity and uniquely American spirit of the Wright Brothers and
the pioneers who followed them, the skies are open and connecting people
and communities around the world.
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72506
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 21, 2021 / Presidential Documents
The Congress, by a joint resolution approved December 17, 1963, as amended
(77 Stat. 402; 36 U.S.C. 143), 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, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States
of America, do hereby proclaim December 17, 2021, as Wright Brothers
Day.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day
of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of
the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
forty-sixth.
[FR Doc. 2021–27841
Filed 12–20–21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395–F2–P
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