Tomorrow marks the 106th anniversary of man's affair with flight. Orville and Wilbur Wright developed fixed wing aircraft, as well as the controls that provide heavier-than-air powered flight. On December 17, 1903, the brothers took their Wright Flyer I to Kitty Hawk flatland, and after many attempts succeeded in their quest for flight.
Following repairs, the Wrights finally took to the air on December 17, 1903, making two flights each from level ground into a freezing headwind gusting to 27 miles per hour (43 km/h). The first flight, by Orville, of 120 feet (37 m) in 12 seconds, at a speed of only 6.8 miles per hour (10.9 km/h) over the ground, was recorded in a famous photograph. The next two flights covered approximately 175 feet (53 m) and 200 feet (61 m), by Wilbur and Orville respectively. Their altitude was about 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground. (Wiki)
In honor of the anniversary, here's a video of the Wright Brothers in France, 1908, demonstrating their new flying machine.
(via Wired)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Santos-Dumont
Do you think they knew about excess baggage charge back then?