The Wright Brothers made history in their Kitty Hawk Flyer on December 17, 1903, with the first powered, heavier-than-air manned aircraft, ushering in the pioneering era of aviation. The flight to North Carolina lasted just 12 seconds and traveled a mere 180 feet, proving that human flight was possible. After the first flight, the possibilities of aviation advanced rapidly as pilots strove to be the first, the fastest, or to fly higher and farther than anyone else. Their daring not only garnered widespread attention, making them heroes, but also advanced the science of flight by making technological, scientific, and military advances.

Within the first twelve years of aviation’s development, most of its current major applications had been discovered: exploration, military, and commercial. All that remained was to set records, expand roles, and improve technology. Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927, and Amelia Earhart became the first woman to do so five years later. A U.S. Air Force plane made the first nonstop flight around the world in 1942, and Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1949. The modern era of aviation doesn’t even need pilots. Drones and unmanned aircraft are blazing new trails and showing the way forward.