Wright Brothers Day2026 · Date · History · Messages
36 U.S.C. §143 designates December 17 as Wright Brothers Day and states that it commemorates the first successful heavier-than-air mechanically propelled airplane flights by Orville and Wilbur Wright on December 17, 1903.
About Wright Brothers Day
Wright Brothers Day is a United States national observance on December 17 commemorating Orville and Wilbur Wright’s successful powered flights near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903.
Federal law designates the date and requests an annual presidential proclamation inviting observance, but Wright Brothers Day is not a federal legal holiday that closes government offices by itself.
Why Wright Brothers Day matters
The observance connects a specific aviation milestone with continuing interest in flight, engineering, experimentation and the history of technology.
Its legal status matters: it is a commemorative national observance under Title 36, not one of the federal holidays listed for employee leave and closures.
History of Wright Brothers Day
On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the flights commemorated by the modern observance.
Congress approved Public Law 88-209 on December 17, 1963, designating December 17 of each year as Wright Brothers Day.
President Lyndon B. Johnson issued Proclamation 3565 on the same date, calling on Americans to observe Wright Brothers Day in 1963.
The designation is now codified at 36 U.S.C. §143.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
United States Congress
Public Law 88-209 (77 Stat. 402)
First documented observance
Proclamation 3565 explicitly called on officials and the public to observe Wright Brothers Day on December 17, 1963.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
Also known as
Wright Brother’s Day
How to Observe Wright Brothers Day
Visit an aviation museum or use a reputable archive to study the Wright brothers’ 1903 experiments and flight tests.
Build a simple paper or model glider and compare how changes in balance and wing shape affect flight.
Read about the wider community of engineers, mechanics, pilots and researchers who shaped early aviation rather than reducing aviation history to one moment.
Use the day to explore modern aerospace careers, safety systems or flight science.
Wright Brothers Day Facts
Wright Brothers Day is December 17.
The date commemorates the Wright brothers’ successful powered flights on December 17, 1903.
Congress created the annual designation in 1963.
President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first Wright Brothers Day proclamation on December 17, 1963.
Wright Brothers Day is a national observance, not a federal legal holiday.
Wright Brothers Day Messages
Celebrate Wright Brothers Day by pairing aviation history with curiosity about how things fly.
May Wright Brothers Day inspire careful study of the people, ideas and tests that moved powered flight forward.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel — 36 U.S.C. §143 (opens in a new tab)
U.S. Code — 36 USC §143, Wright Brothers Day (opens in a new tab)
Federal Statute
The American Presidency Project — Proclamation 3565 (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Wright Brothers Day?
17 December annually The documented recurrence rule is: 17 December.
Does Wright Brothers Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Wright Brothers Day an official public holiday?
Within the reviewed scope, it is identified as United States / statutory aviation commemoration. That status is not automatically extended to other countries or jurisdictions.
Who established or recognizes Wright Brothers Day?
The reviewed sources identify United States Congress as the proclaiming or establishing body.
Is Wright Brothers Day international or country-specific?
This observance is specific to United States. Its fuller verified scope is: United States / statutory aviation commemoration.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-08.
When is Wright Brothers Day?
It is December 17 each year.
Why is Wright Brothers Day on December 17?
Federal law ties the observance to the Wright brothers’ successful powered flights on December 17, 1903.
When was Wright Brothers Day established?
Congress approved the annual designation on December 17, 1963, and President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first proclamation that day.
Is Wright Brothers Day a federal holiday?
No. It is a national commemorative observance under Title 36, not a federal legal holiday that automatically closes government offices.