Orville Wright

August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948

Today is the 64th anniversary of Orville Wright’s death, one of the two men known for the invention of the airplane. Orville, along with his brother, Wilbur, made the first airplane flight in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, NC. Orville was born in Dayton, OH, where he and Wilbur worked on the designs and plans for their original gliders and airplane. Both North Carolina and Ohio take claim to the Wright brothers’ invention.

Orville outlived his brother for another 36 years. The 100th anniversary of Wilbur’s death will be later this year on May 30th. Orville died leaving a Will that stated, “…the executors should select which institution or institutions they deemed appropriate to receive the papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright.”¹ Many pieces were sent to the Library of Congress and ultimately, Wright State University in Dayton, OH received a large donation of items and is now the permanent holder of the remainder of the brothers’ papers.²

Orville was 76 was he passed away and is buried at the family plot in a cemetery in Dayton, OH.

1 & 2 http://www.libraries.wright.edu/special/wright_brothers/wb_collection/history.html