[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 244 (Thursday, December 21, 2017)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 60671-60672]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27716]



[[Page 60669]]

Vol. 82

Thursday,

No. 244

December 21, 2017

Part II





The President





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Proclamation 9686--Wright Brothers Day, 2017
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  Federal Register / Vol. 82 , No. 244 / Thursday, December 21, 2017 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 60671]]

                Proclamation 9686 of December 15, 2017

                
Wright Brothers Day, 2017

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On December 17, 1903, a handcrafted biplane lifted off 
                the soft sand of a windswept beach in Kitty Hawk, North 
                Carolina, ushering in the age of aviation. The flight 
                lasted a mere 12 seconds, and covered only 120 feet, 
                but it changed the course of history. On Wright 
                Brothers Day, we honor the two American pioneers from 
                Dayton, Ohio, who first achieved powered flight, one of 
                the most remarkable triumphs of the 20th century.

                Orville and Wilbur Wright shared a fascination with 
                flight and a desire to push the limits of the possible. 
                They were bicycle mechanics by trade, and though they 
                lacked formal education and resources, they excelled in 
                aviation through determination and tenacity. They built 
                their own research facilities, learned and tested 
                principles of engineering and aerodynamics, and endured 
                years of failure as they improved on their designs.

                Aviation has transformed modern life. The Golden Age of 
                Flight during the 1920s and 1930s captured the 
                imagination of the American people, and soon opened 
                commercial opportunities for transport and trade. Two 
                world wars led to the development of the modern U.S. 
                Air Force, strengthening our national security and 
                enabling us to command the battlefield and protect our 
                homeland from the sky. Aviation has also connected far-
                away nations, changing the way we conduct business, 
                spend our leisure time, and spread new ideas. In only 
                60 years' time, aviation expanded from the familiar to 
                a new unknown--from speeding us through the clouds to 
                launching us into space.

                The same spirit that fueled Orville and Wilbur Wright 
                ignited a passion in other aviation visionaries. In 
                July 1969, American pioneers, Neil Armstrong, Buzz 
                Aldrin, and Michael Collins, completed the first manned 
                mission to the Moon on Apollo 11. To acknowledge 
                aviation's humble beginnings, their spacecraft left 
                Earth's orbit with pieces of wood and a swath of muslin 
                from the left wing of the biplane that made history at 
                Kitty Hawk. The innovative spirit of the Wright 
                brothers also inspired the legendary Joe Sutter who, in 
                just over 2 years, designed and built the iconic 747 
                jetliner. This glamorous jumbo plane, and the first 
                ever wide-body aircraft, transformed travel through the 
                sky. It has been the aircraft of five United States 
                presidents and was the basis for Sutter receiving the 
                Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy in 1986.

                More than a century after conquering flight, the Wright 
                brothers continue to motivate and inspire Americans, 
                who never tire of exploration and innovation. This 
                great American spirit can be found in the design of 
                every new supersonic jet and next-generation unmanned 
                aircraft. Their revolutionary legacy lives on in each 
                airplane take-off and spacecraft launch. On Wright 
                Brothers Day, we celebrate their extraordinary 
                contribution to the strength and success of our Nation.

                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.

[[Page 60672]]

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim December 
                17, 2017, as Wright Brothers Day.

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

[FR Doc. 2017-27716
Filed 12-20-17; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F8-P