Final answer:
The Wright Brothers, originators of a printing press and bicycle shop, have been recognized for achieving the first powered flight. They tapped into the potential of the gasoline internal combustion engine, built their airplane, and made their first successful flight on December 17, 1903, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Their early aviation breakthroughs set the groundwork for contemporary commercial and military planes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Orville and Wilbur Wright, operators of a printing press and a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, are credited with the first powered flight. Their exploration into this innovation was funded and mechanically experienced through their bicycle business. Their serious experimentations took off in 1899, heavily inspired by the fatalities from glider experiments, prompting them to understand the mechanics of controlled flight before treading into it.
They realized the potential of the gasoline internal combustion engine, by the 1890s, as their airplane's power source. They constructed an engine in their shop in six weeks and took their airplane, with long, narrow wings, for enhanced lift, to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers made four powered flights, with the most extended clocking over 850 feet.
Between 1908 and 1910, the Wright Brothers gave demonstrations in France and the United States. They founded the Wright company in 1909. Their early 20th century innovations paved the way for modern military and commercial aircraft, with firms and airlines blossoming in the 1930s as engine and passenger compartment design technologies developed.
Learn more about Wright Brothers' First Flight