Flying machines have fascinated inventors since the Renaissance, and the Wright brothers continued this research in the early 20th century. Orville and Wilbur Wright built a laboratory in North Carolina to test the aerodynamics of wings. Their patent for the heavier-than-air vehicle, the aeroplane, was filed in 1903, and issued May 22, 1906. The Wright Brothers are often considered the pioneers of manned flight, and their biplane design inspired thousands of aviators, as well as transformed travel, transport, and military operations.
Source: Scientific American Inventions and Discoveries by Rodney Carlisle (Wiley, 2004)
