[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 22, 2010)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 80671-80672]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32402]



[[Page 80669]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Part V





The President





-----------------------------------------------------------------------



Proclamation 8617--Wright Brothers Day, 2010
 
 
                         Presidential Documents 
 
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 245 / Wednesday, December 22, 2010 / 
Presidential Documents  

 ___________________________________________________________________

 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 80671]]

                Proclamation 8617 of December 17, 2010

                
Wright Brothers Day, 2010

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On December 17, 1903, after years of determination and 
                creativity, Orville and Wilbur Wright's wooden aircraft 
                sailed the steady winds of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina 
                and conquered the age-old dream of manned flight. That 
                day, the two brothers from Dayton, Ohio, could only 
                imagine what we now know--that those moments aloft in 
                the North Carolina sky would send mankind on a 
                revolutionary journey and modernize transportation. On 
                this day, we celebrate their historic accomplishment, 
                the limitless potential they represent, and the vision 
                they spurred for the next generation of inventors and 
                entrepreneurs.

                The Wright brothers' monumental achievement solidified 
                their place in history and earned them status as 
                American and global icons. They moved aviation from a 
                curiosity into an indispensable global industry. Self-
                taught and relentless in their years of work and 
                experimentation, these brothers were a shining 
                illustration of the limitless capacity of human 
                intellect and the resourcefulness of the American 
                entrepreneur. As part of an era of great visionaries, 
                Orville and Wilbur Wright helped hasten an age of 
                discovery and great technological advancement. Their 
                unyielding pursuit of powered flight stands as a proud 
                example for young and curious minds eager to transform 
                and advance the world around them.

                Just as the Wright brothers' breakthrough led to a new 
                industry that forever altered our world, a new 
                generation of space pioneers is now following in their 
                footsteps and setting our Nation's sights even higher. 
                Working with the National Aeronautics and Space 
                Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration, 
                leaders in spaceflight are making great progress in 
                ushering in a new commercial space industry that can 
                help boost our economy, create new jobs, and take 
                Americans to soaring new heights.

                America's long history of technological leadership and 
                innovation has been the product of learning and 
                ingenuity. To maintain this tradition and propel it 
                forward, America must empower the next generation of 
                doers and makers. We must ensure our Nation's students 
                receive the world-class mathematics and science 
                education they need to challenge the boundaries of 
                human knowledge and realize tomorrow what we can only 
                dream today. We must also ready our children to become 
                the entrepreneurs whose tenacity and creativity will 
                power the engine of our Nation's economy for centuries 
                to come. On Wright Brothers Day, in remembrance of that 
                celebrated flight, let us recommit to preparing the 
                next generation of scientists, engineers, inventors, 
                and entrepreneurs to create a future of promise and 
                progress.

                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, 2010, as Wright Brothers Day.

[[Page 80672]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                seventeenth day of December, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2010-32402
Filed 12-21-10; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3195-W1-P