The 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight. (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/12/1217_031217_firstflight.html)

Where would we be today without air travel? (Well, on the ground, obviously, but still...)

Just a hundred years as well. I wonder what will be happening a hundred years from now?

I know, I know, :yot: , but I heard a couple of nights ago on a radio quiz that there's some argument as to whether or not the Wright Brothers actually were the first to fly (can't actually recall the exact wording). There are claims that a New Zealand farmer (forgotten his name) was the first.

Don't know about a New Zealand farmer, but there is growing evidence that Gustave Whitehead may have been the first to obtain heavier than air, powered flight. If you like conspiracy theories, you can read about it here (http://www.historynet.com/ahi/blgwhitehead/)

The reason the Wrights are sometimes questioned as the first is that they were extremely secretive and would allow hardly anyone to observe or photograph their flights. So the world was naturally skeptical of their claims.

In August of 1908, nobody questioned their prior claims when the Wrights finally demonstrated to the public at a racetrack near Le Mans their unprecedented flight skills and their advanced (for the time of course) flying technology.

By 1911, the Wrights were left behind when several companies were producing better aircraft than the Wrights were.

In 1912, Wilbur died, and by 1915 Orville quit the flying business.

I'm not sure how long the picture will stay on the site, but go here to see the way those crazy kids at MIT celebrated the occasion.

MIT Dome (http://www.boston.com/news/)