120 Years in Flight

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright completed the world's first flight on the beach at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Though the Wright brothers' first flight lasted only 12 seconds, the achievement ushered in the aviation era.

Since then, numerous other U.S. aeronautical innovations have contributed to a modern aviation industry that transports millions of passengers and thousands of metric tons of cargo around the world each day.

On the 120th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight, the U.S. Department of State celebrates the U.S. aeronautical breakthroughs that have made air travel more efficient, economical, and safe.

Test your knowledge of aviation history with this quiz. Your mission is to use the up and down arrows to place these iconic accomplishments in flight in the order in which they happened. For optimal viewing, rotate your phone or tablet horizontally.