[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 244 (Monday, December 21, 2015)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 79457-79458]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32245]



[[Page 79455]]

Vol. 80

Monday,

No. 244

December 21, 2015

Part III





The President





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Proclamation 9382--Wright Brothers Day, 2015
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  Federal Register / Vol. 80 , No. 244 / Monday, December 21, 2015 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 79457]]

                Proclamation 9382 of December 16, 2015

                
Wright Brothers Day, 2015

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                The prospect of human flight captured the world's 
                imagination for centuries. From the ancient Greeks who 
                marveled at the story of Icarus soaring through the 
                sky, to Leonardo da Vinci who sketched designs of 
                manned mechanical gliders, humanity's unyielding push 
                skyward speaks to our resolve to transcend limits and 
                redefine what is possible. On December 17, 1903, two 
                American brothers reached a milestone in this age-old 
                pursuit by, after years of planning and research, 
                successfully launching the world's first flight of a 
                powered airplane. On Wright Brothers Day, our Nation 
                commemorates this achievement and celebrates the spirit 
                of innovation that drives American inventors, 
                entrepreneurs, and scientists by reaffirming our 
                support for them in their goals to push the boundaries 
                of human capability.

                Our country's founding ideals of freedom of thought and 
                expression are not only necessary for upholding the 
                inherent dignity and respect of every individual, but 
                they are also fundamental ingredients for fostering 
                scientific discovery. These values compelled the 
                Pilgrims to set out and seek new lives and prompted 
                revolutionaries to forge a new Nation. The great 
                thinkers and innovators that have always moved America 
                forward have done so by challenging convention, sharing 
                ideas, and reimagining the future through new 
                inventions and beliefs.

                Before the 19th century, few thought human flight was 
                an endeavor worth investigating. But in the decades 
                leading up to the 20th century, a handful of devoted 
                dreamers began conducting aeronautical research that 
                eventually fell on the ears of two enthusiastic bicycle 
                mechanics from Dayton, Ohio, who would push past what 
                others deemed impossible and take to the sky, spark a 
                new and lasting industry, and change the course of 
                history. Wilbur and Orville Wright spent their 
                childhood tinkering and building, their passions fueled 
                by their mother, Susan, who shared these interests and 
                had considerable mechanical skills. The brothers opened 
                a bicycle shop, where they honed their understanding of 
                the concepts of balance, control, aerodynamics, and 
                lightweight yet sound structures--laying the foundation 
                for their groundbreaking achievement. Years of 
                meticulous observation, building, and experimentation 
                culminated on one frigid, windy morning on a sandy 
                beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where the Wright 
                brothers made their successful flight.

                The invention of the airplane not only contributed to 
                our understanding of physics and engineering--it 
                profoundly altered our world. People and goods began 
                moving across the globe at an unprecedented pace, new 
                industries and fields of discovery sprang to life, and 
                advances in aviation launched a new era of possibility 
                in which our countrymen would walk on the moon just 66 
                years after that first 12 second flight.

                Today, American entrepreneurs and scientists are 
                continuing the legacy of the Wright brothers by making 
                new discoveries and pushing boundaries--from the 
                furthest reaches of our universe to the greatest 
                mysteries of the human brain. To keep our Nation on the 
                forefront of breakthroughs that will define the future, 
                we must continue investing in pioneering research,

[[Page 79458]]

                innovative startups, and programs that encourage 
                science, technology, engineering, and math education 
                for our daughters and sons. And we must keep fostering 
                an atmosphere in our communities and classrooms where 
                lifetime quests for knowledge are encouraged, where 
                glimmers of curiosity are sparked, and where the next 
                generation of explorers and inventors are celebrated. 
                On Wright Brothers Day, let us recommit to cultivating 
                the insatiable hunger for advancement that takes 
                humanity to new frontiers, and let us stand with those 
                who never stop challenging the limits of what we know 
                to be possible.

                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, 2015, 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 fifteen, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2015-32245
Filed 12-18-15; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F6-P