December 17, 2003 marks the 100th anniversary of the first powered, manned airplane flight by Orville and Wilbur Wright. Though the Wright brothers’ first flight near Kitty Hawk, N.C., only lasted 12 seconds and covered about 120 feet, it is because of their accomplishment that we now have aircraft that can travel faster than the speed of sound and take mankind to the edge of space.

The era of aviation began the moment that Orville Wright left the ground on that morning a century ago. Except for the computer, perhaps no other invention has benefited mankind as much as the airplane. The innovations of the Wrights’ flier would eventually make flight possible for the general population; take us into the atomic age and to the surface of the moon. All of these advances may not have happen had it not been for the Wrights’ perseverance . . . and their original biplane.

It may be hard to believe, but today’s airliners that are capable of carrying hundreds of passengers across the globe in just a few hours are direct descendants of the Wrights’ original airplane. An engineering marvel for its time, the Wrights’ plane was the product of four years of experimentation with kites, gliders and wind tunnel testing. Charlie Taylor, a bicycle mechanic and friend of the Wrights, built the small engine that powered the plane.

The Wrights’ plane was a milestone in itself, because it was the first flying craft that could be controlled while in the air. Every successful aircraft built since the Wrights’ flyer has had controls to roll the wings right or left, pitch the nose up or down, and yaw the nose from side to side. These three controls—roll, pitch, and yaw—let a pilot navigate an airplane in three dimensions, making it possible to safely fly from place to place. The entire aerospace business, the largest industry in the world, depends on this simple but brilliant idea.

The Wrights flew their plane a total of four times that historic day. Wilbur achieved the longest flight when he flew it 852 feet in 59 seconds. The plane was badly damaged by wind after the fourth flight and retired after that day. It has been on display at the Smithsonian since 1949 as the world’s first piloted, powered airplane.