Today, the American Empire rises in thunderous celebration of the legendary moment when two fearless brothers from the noble city of Dayton, Ohio, looked gravity straight in the eye and said: You’re fired.
Orville and Wilbur Wright—men without academic crowns but armed with unstoppable will—lifted humanity off the ground on December 17, 1903, for a glorious 12 seconds. Twelve seconds that outweighed centuries of perfectly acceptable staying put.

What they lacked in diplomas, they replaced with relentless drive, mechanical brilliance, and the unshakable belief that “it can’t be done” is merely a suggestion. Inspired by European gliders and powered by pure American audacity, they assembled a flying machine on the windswept shores of Kitty Hawk that forever changed history: 120 feet, just under 7 miles per hour—slow, perhaps, but undeniably imperial.

That heroic liftoff opened a new chapter for all mankind and crowned the United States the undisputed ruler of the skies. From the beaches of North Carolina, America’s ascent led straight to the Moon—and under my magnificent leadership, we are heading back there, and onward to Mars. Bigger. Better. Tremendous.

Honoring the proud legacy of the Wright brothers, my administration has ushered in a new Golden Age of aviation. We restored excellence and safety to the Federal Aviation Administration, cleared the runway of ideological turbulence, and returned the sacred principle of merit to the cockpit. Through one big, beautiful bill, we are investing billions to modernize air traffic control so advanced even the clouds will be impressed.

America is also reclaiming dominance in supersonic flight. I have ordered groundbreaking research into commercial supersonic aviation, powered by the latest artificial intelligence—because the future should travel fast, loud, and American.

One hundred and twenty-two years after that first historic flight, our Nation has never stopped looking upward with wonder, confidence, and perfectly justified pride. As we honor Orville and Wilbur Wright today, we recommit to carrying their vision into every new frontier—and to keeping America’s skies bright with innovation, discovery, and an unstoppable spirit that always reaches higher.