[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 51 (Monday, December 26, 1994)]
[Page 2509]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 6762--Wright Brothers Day, 1994

December 15, 1994

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    On a windy December day 91 years ago, Orville and Wilbur Wright made 
history. In 12 seconds of flight, they demonstrated to the world that 
mortals really could touch the sky in powered flight. In the decades 
since, Americans have continued to make history with countless 
achievements in aviation and aerospace technology.
    America leads the world in aeronautics technology, and that 
leadership is directly reflected in the success of our aircraft 
industry. The legacy of the Wright brothers is clear: in the past year, 
the U.S. aeronautics industry sold more than $100 billion in products 
and employed more than a million people in high-quality jobs. Aircraft 
are the Nation's top manufactured export, with more than $40 billion in 
sales in 181 countries around the world.
    We have a grand history and a promising future in aeronautics. The 
enactment of the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994, which I 
signed into law last August, provides a significant opportunity to 
reassert America's global leadership in general aviation aircraft. 
Offering the promise of new jobs and an enhanced economic climate, this 
measure applies the kind of innovation, creativity, and vision 
exemplified so many years ago by the Wright brothers.
    Today, Orville and Wilbur's perseverance continues to challenge and 
inspire us as we take the lead in cutting-edge aeronautics technology. 
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is working with 
industry to develop technologies that will make conventional aircraft 
safer, more affordable, and more environmentally friendly. Government 
and industry researchers are also working in partnership to transform 
the concept of affordable commercial supersonic flight into a reality 
early in the next century. These technological advancements in aviation 
and aerospace will continue to contribute to our success and prosperity. 
The dream that began on a lonely stretch of beach near Kitty Hawk, North 
Carolina, has taken us through the sound barrier and into space--and the 
future holds endless possibilities.
    The Congress, by a joint resolution approved December 17, 1963 (77 
Stat. 402; 36 U.S.C. 169), 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, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim December 17, 1994, as Wright 
Brothers Day.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day 
of December, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, 
and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 
and nineteenth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:35 a.m., December 16, 
1994]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on December 16, and it was published in the Federal Register 
on December 19. This item was not received in time for publication in 
the appropriate issue.