[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 21, 2016)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 93789-93790]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-30955]


 
 
                         Presidential Documents 
 
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 245 / Wednesday, December 21, 2016 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 93789]]


                Proclamation 9557 of December 16, 2016

                
Wright Brothers Day, 2016

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On December 17, 1903, two brothers from Dayton, Ohio 
                successfully flew the world's first powered aircraft. 
                The plane remained airborne for only 12 seconds, but 
                Orville and Wilbur Wright's innovative legacy has 
                endured for generations--unleashing unparalleled 
                possibilities and forever transforming our way of life. 
                On Wright Brothers Day, we celebrate the determination 
                and ingenuity that drove their pursuit and recommit to 
                shaping the future through our ideas and discoveries.

                As self-taught mechanics, the Wright brothers devoted 
                years to research and experimentation before taking 
                their talents and creativity to the strong winds above 
                Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where they completed the 
                monumental first flight. Their mother, Susan, spent 
                considerable time in her youth designing and building 
                mechanical appliances; she guided her children whenever 
                she could and always encouraged them to chase their 
                curiosities. As Orville and Wilbur grew, they followed 
                their entrepreneurial instincts, launching a newspaper 
                and later opening a bicycle shop to sell their designs. 
                Their resilience through early failed attempts at 
                flight, and their resolve to dream big in the face of 
                that which had never been done before, still serves as 
                an inspiration.

                Our capacity to harness new inventions and technologies 
                to tackle our greatest challenges has allowed our 
                Nation to lead the world in innovation. From sending 
                people into the skies and outer space to finding ways 
                to instantly communicate with others across the globe, 
                the creativity inherent in our DNA and our commitment 
                to science have sparked our progress and set us apart. 
                The same American spirit of innovation that led the 
                Wright brothers to test their theories again and 
                again--finding ways to make things work and then make 
                them even better--is still reflected in the imagination 
                and tenacity that move inventors and explorers to push 
                the frontiers of what is known and achieve 
                groundbreaking feats that were once unimaginable.

                In upholding this legacy, we must resolve to help all 
                young Americans understand that they can have a place 
                in advancing science and technology--regardless of 
                their race, gender, or circumstances. Brilliant ideas 
                can come from anyone and anywhere, and it is our 
                obligation to increase the availability of science, 
                technology, engineering, and math (STEM) training and 
                encourage the next generation to pursue STEM careers. 
                This commitment to science and innovation can 
                revitalize our communities and economies and reignite 
                our shared sense of optimism and opportunity.

                Today, we reflect on the century of flight the Wright 
                brothers helped make possible. Their story reminds us 
                not just of where we have been, but where we still can 
                go when we foster ingenuity and discovery and refuse to 
                accept the sky as the limit. With the right investments 
                and the perseverance of dreamers and doers who see a 
                challenge and yearn to find a solution, there is 
                nothing we cannot achieve.

                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

[[Page 93790]]

                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, 2016, 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 sixteen, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and forty-first.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2016-30955
Filed 12-20-16; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F7-P