December 17

Coin Toss Shifts Winds of Change

On this day in 1903, Orville Wright flew the first engine-powered airplane and made aviation history at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. His brother Wilbur had tried once before, but the engine had stalled. The brothers flipped a coin to see who would try next. Orville won and became the first person to fly—staying aloft for 12 seconds!