Wright Brothers Day, 2012

Vol. 77

Thursday,

No. 245

December 20, 2012

Part II

The President

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Proclamation 8918--Wright Brothers Day, 2012

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 8918 of December 17, 2012

Wright Brothers Day, 2012

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

After years of research and experimentation, 12 seconds
of powered flight over the hills of Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina, vindicated the passion and resolve with which
Wilbur and Orville Wright pursued their lifelong dream.
Like so many Americans before and after them, these two
men achieved the unthinkable, and their achievements
changed our way of life. On Wright Brothers Day, we
reflect on their astonishing feat and celebrate the
ambition it still inspires more than a century later.

Wilbur and Orville Wright were the kind of
entrepreneurs Americans everywhere root for. Their
inspiration sparked from their mother, Susan--a gifted
mathematician in her own right who challenged her
children to think big and dream bold. The brothers
overcame years of personal hardship to open their own
bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, quickly improving on the
designs of the bikes they sold and eventually expanding
to manufacture their own models. As they mastered their
craft, they turned their attention skyward. Similar
stories of resilient, canny entrepreneurship have
unfolded throughout our Nation's history--from the
founding of our airlines and auto industry to the
growth of our research institutions and small
businesses. While each journey has been unique, all
have advanced that same brand of rugged determination
to stay ahead of the curve and keep America moving
forward.

With their game-changing feat, the Wright brothers
earned their place in history as innovators who helped
trigger America's rise as an economic superpower, and
whose example inspired the kind of businesses and
industries that built and grew our middle class. As we
mark Wright Brothers Day, let us carry their legacy
forward by taking on new challenges with tenacity and
meeting our hardships with courage, confident that our
shared future is bright and our best days are still
ahead.

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, 2012, as Wright Brothers Day.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
seventeenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
seventh.