| Years |
Wilbur Wright Age |
Orville Wright Age |
Events |
| 1867 |
0 |
|
Wilbur Wright born in Millville, Indiana |
| 1871 |
4 |
0 |
Orville Wright born in Dayton, Ohio |
| 1878 |
11 |
7 |
The Wright brothers build their first aircraft, a rubber-band powered helicopter |
| 1884 |
17 |
13 |
The family moves back to Dayton, Ohio |
| 1885 |
18 |
14 |
Wilbur suffers a sports injury, preventing college attendance |
| 1886 |
19 |
15 |
Orville starts a printing business |
| 1889 |
22 |
18 |
Orville publishes “West Side News,” with Wilbur as editor; their mother dies |
| 1892 |
25 |
21 |
They open a bicycle sales and repair shop |
| 1893 |
26 |
22 |
They start selling and repairing bicycles |
| 1895 |
28 |
24 |
They manufacture their own bicycles, “St. Clair” and “Van Cleve” |
| 1896 |
29 |
25 |
They take an interest in the “flying problem” |
| 1899 |
32 |
28 |
Wilbur devises an aerodynamic control system and builds a kite |
| 1900 |
33 |
29 |
They build and test their first glider at Kitty Hawk |
| 1901 |
34 |
30 |
They build and test a second glider, which is unsuccessful; Wilbur presents a paper to the Western Society of Engineers |
| 1902 |
35 |
31 |
They build a third glider with a new control system, which is successful |
| 1903 |
36 |
32 |
They build the Wright Flyer and make the first successful powered flight on December 17 |
| 1904 |
37 |
33 |
They build the Wright Flyer II and make longer flights |
| 1905 |
38 |
34 |
They build the Wright Flyer III, the first practical airplane |
| 1906 |
39 |
35 |
They receive a patent for their flying machine |
| 1907 |
40 |
36 |
They begin to sell airplanes to the U.S. Army and European buyers |
| 1908 |
41 |
37 |
Orville makes a flight of over an hour; Wilbur makes flights in France |
| 1909 |
42 |
38 |
They make their first public flight in France, winning the Gordon Bennett Trophy; they receive the Medal of the Legion of Honour |
| 1910 |
43 |
39 |
They form the Wright Company to manufacture airplanes |
| 1911 |
44 |
40 |
Wilbur makes a flight with a passenger, setting a new record |
| 1912 |
45 |
41 |
Wilbur Wright dies of typhoid fever on May 30 |
| 1913 |
|
42 |
Orville continues to work on aviation, serving on various committees |
| 1915 |
|
44 |
Orville sells his interest in the Wright Company |
| 1917 |
|
46 |
Their father, Bishop Milton Wright, dies |
| 1929 |
|
58 |
Orville marries Katherine Louise Sage |
| 1930 |
|
59 |
Orville helps establish the National Air Museum (now the National Air and Space Museum) |
| 1948 |
|
77 |
Orville Wright dies on January 30 |
