28. The Wright Brothers Were the First to Fly
The Wright brothers are often credited as the first people to fly, but several inventors worldwide attempted flight before them. What set the Wrights apart was achieving the first controlled, sustained, powered flight with their 1903 aircraft at Kitty Hawk. Earlier pioneers, such as Brazil’s Alberto Santos-Dumont, made notable efforts but lacked the control and consistency of the Wrights’ flights. Their breakthrough wasn’t about being the absolute first in the air, but about pioneering reliable, repeatable flight technology.
