[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 50 (Monday, December 19, 2005)]
[Pages 1868-1869]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7969--Wright Brothers Day, 2005

December 16, 2005

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    On December 17, 1903, a wooden aircraft lifted from the sands of 
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, remaining airborne for 12 seconds and 
covering a distance of 40 yards. That first powered flight was a heroic 
moment in our Nation's history and in the story of mankind. On Wright 
Brothers Day, we celebrate the journey that began at Kitty Hawk and 
commemorate the imagination, ingenuity, and determination of Orville and 
Wilbur Wright.
    The American experience in air and space is an epic of endurance and 
discovery. The past 102 years have brought supersonic flight, space 
travel, and the exploration of the Moon and Mars. Charles Lindbergh's 
solo, nonstop passage across the Atlantic Ocean and the record-breaking 
flights of Amelia Earhart captured the public's imagination and 
encouraged the growth of aviation. Americans such as Chuck Yeager, the 
first man to break the sound barrier, and Alan Shepard, the first 
American in space, and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the first men on 
the Moon, led our Nation on a voyage of discovery. These pioneers 
explored the unknown and brought the bold dream of the Wright Brothers 
into the future. Their dedication and skill and that of countless others 
reflect the finest values of our country and have helped ensure that the 
United States continues to lead the world in flight.
    Americans will always be risk-takers for the sake of exploration. As 
we remember the achievements of the Wright Brothers, we look forward to 
challenging the frontiers of knowledge in a new century.
    The Congress, by a joint resolution approved December 17, 1963 (77 
Stat. 402; 36 U.S.C. 143) as amended, 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 1869]]

    Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States of 
America, do hereby proclaim December 17, 2005, 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 five, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
thirtieth.
                                                George W. Bush

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., December 20, 
2005]

Note: This proclamation will be published in the Federal Register on 
December 21.