[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 244 (Thursday, December 19, 2019)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 69617-69618]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-27525]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 84 , No. 244 / Thursday, December 19, 2019 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 69617]]

                Proclamation 9973 of December 16, 2019

                
Wright Brothers Day, 2019

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On December 17, 1903, two visionaries, brothers from 
                Dayton, Ohio, ushered in the dawn of the age of 
                aviation on a wind-swept beach in Kitty Hawk, North 
                Carolina. Wilbur and Orville Wright changed the course 
                of history with the successful maiden flight of a 
                manned, engine-powered aircraft. On Wright Brothers 
                Day, we honor this remarkable achievement, commend the 
                brothers' ingenuity, innovation, passion, and 
                determination, and celebrate the incalculable 
                contributions of aviation to our Nation and the world.

                When the Wright Flyer safely landed near Kill Devil 
                Hills, it marked the first step of an aviation journey 
                of countless American pioneers to conquer the skies. In 
                the 116 years since this groundbreaking flight, we have 
                made revolutionary strides in aviation, such as Amelia 
                Earhart crossing the Atlantic and Wiley Post circling 
                the globe. This same fearless American spirit 
                eventually propelled us beyond Earth's atmosphere into 
                space and even placed humans onto the surface of the 
                Moon in an ongoing pursuit of discovery and 
                exploration. Earlier this year, our Nation commemorated 
                the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission and 
                remembered the triumphant courage and patriotism 
                displayed by those intrepid astronauts. On that 
                remarkable voyage, Commander Neil Armstrong carried a 
                small patch of fabric from the wing of the Wright 
                Brothers' 1903 ``Flyer.''

                The progress and success of aviation are among our 
                country's greatest achievements. Aviation connects 
                people, commerce, and industry, not merely across the 
                country but across oceans and continents. The economic, 
                strategic, and social benefits of aviation are critical 
                to our national security and prosperity. That is why my 
                Administration is committed to ensuring that the United 
                States remains the world leader in aviation and 
                aerospace innovation. We are improving the design of 
                supersonic jets, for example, and preparing for their 
                reintroduction to civilian flight while also embracing 
                the growth and potential of unmanned aircraft. By 
                working with leaders in the industry, we are advancing 
                the exploratory and commercial capabilities of space 
                technology and cultivating ideas that could 
                revolutionize the future of transportation, enhance 
                national security and defense, and increase efficiency 
                in commerce and emergency management.

                Throughout our history, our Republic has been 
                characterized by great men and women, like Wilbur and 
                Orville, who dared to push boundaries, challenge 
                traditional thinking, explore unchartered paths, and 
                embrace the power of possibility. The Wright Brothers' 
                airborne adventure into the North Carolina sky is one 
                of our Nation's seminal milestones and a shining 
                example of the power of the indomitable American 
                spirit, which continues to fuel the next chapter of our 
                history at sea, on land, and in the skies and beyond.

                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 69618]]

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim December 
                17, 2019, 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 nineteen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                fourth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2019-27525
Filed 12-18-19; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F0-P