Wright Brothers Day, 2016

Proclamation 9557 of December 16, 2016

Wright Brothers Day, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On December 17, 1903, two brothers from Dayton, Ohio
successfully flew the world's first powered aircraft.
The plane remained airborne for only 12 seconds, but
Orville and Wilbur Wright's innovative legacy has
endured for generations--unleashing unparalleled
possibilities and forever transforming our way of life.
On Wright Brothers Day, we celebrate the determination
and ingenuity that drove their pursuit and recommit to
shaping the future through our ideas and discoveries.

As self-taught mechanics, the Wright brothers devoted
years to research and experimentation before taking
their talents and creativity to the strong winds above
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where they completed the
monumental first flight. Their mother, Susan, spent
considerable time in her youth designing and building
mechanical appliances; she guided her children whenever
she could and always encouraged them to chase their
curiosities. As Orville and Wilbur grew, they followed
their entrepreneurial instincts, launching a newspaper
and later opening a bicycle shop to sell their designs.
Their resilience through early failed attempts at
flight, and their resolve to dream big in the face of
that which had never been done before, still serves as
an inspiration.

Our capacity to harness new inventions and technologies
to tackle our greatest challenges has allowed our
Nation to lead the world in innovation. From sending
people into the skies and outer space to finding ways
to instantly communicate with others across the globe,
the creativity inherent in our DNA and our commitment
to science have sparked our progress and set us apart.
The same American spirit of innovation that led the
Wright brothers to test their theories again and
again--finding ways to make things work and then make
them even better--is still reflected in the imagination
and tenacity that move inventors and explorers to push
the frontiers of what is known and achieve
groundbreaking feats that were once unimaginable.

In upholding this legacy, we must resolve to help all
young Americans understand that they can have a place
in advancing science and technology--regardless of
their race, gender, or circumstances. Brilliant ideas
can come from anyone and anywhere, and it is our
obligation to increase the availability of science,
technology, engineering, and math (STEM) training and
encourage the next generation to pursue STEM careers.
This commitment to science and innovation can
revitalize our communities and economies and reignite
our shared sense of optimism and opportunity.

Today, we reflect on the century of flight the Wright
brothers helped make possible. Their story reminds us
not just of where we have been, but where we still can
go when we foster ingenuity and discovery and refuse to
accept the sky as the limit. With the right investments
and the perseverance of dreamers and doers who see a
challenge and yearn to find a solution, there is
nothing we cannot achieve.

The Congress, by a joint resolution approved December
17, 1963, as amended (77 Stat. 402; 36 U.S.C. 143), has
designated December 17 of each year as ``Wright
Brothers Day'' and has authorized and requested the
President

to issue annually a proclamation inviting the people of
the United States to observe that day with appropriate
ceremonies and activities.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim December
17, 2016, as Wright Brothers Day.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord two
thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and forty-first.