More than 100 years ago, Wilbur and Orville Wright manned the first motorized aircraft. The date was Dec. 17, 1903, and Orville was the first to fly, staying aloft for 12 seconds at Kill Devil Hills, N.C.

The fourth and final flight of the day proved the most successful. Wilbur traveled 852 feet while remaining airborne for 57 seconds. The Wright’s had built their plane in a backroom at their Dayton, Ohio, bicycle shop. After the flight, they walked four miles to Kitty Hawk, where they sent a telegram to their father back in Ohio.

Click here to see the telegram the Wright’s sent home. They even told their father to notify the press.

Do we have any aspiring pilots out there? Does anyone have a story about his or her first flight, or a funny story about a recent trip?