[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 118, 108th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

Proclamation 7745 of December 17, 2003


 
Wright Brothers Day, 2003

By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

A spirit of exploration and discovery has been a part of the American
character since our founding days. Orville and Wilbur Wright exemplified
this spirit when they made the dream of human flight a reality on
December 17, 1903. On Wright Brothers Day, we honor the vision of these
bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio, and celebrate the centennial of
manned, powered flight.

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118 STAT. 4088

One hundred years ago, the Wright brothers changed our world with their
12-second, 120-foot flight in North Carolina. Their achievement inspired
other aviation pioneers and marked the beginning of a new era of
freedom. Since that first flight, aviation and aerospace technology has
advanced at a remarkable pace, allowing us to fly across oceans, break
the sound barrier, orbit the Earth, land on the moon, and study our
universe in a way our ancestors could not have imagined. Each new
generation of engineers and other inventors, following in the Wright
Brothers' footsteps, continues to move the technology of flight further.
Today, air transportation touches the lives of people throughout the
United States, and helps unite the American people. Air transportation
brings families and friends together, delivers aid to those in need, and
facilitates industry and commerce.
As we look to the future, we remember the extraordinary accomplishments
of the Wright Brothers. Their determination and innovation continue to
inspire us as we embark on the second century of flight.
The Congress, by a joint resolution approved December 17, 1963 (77 Stat.
402; 36 U.S.C. 143) as amended, has designated December 17 of each year
as ``Wright Brothers Day'' and has authorized and requested the
President to issue annually a proclamation inviting the people of the
United States to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and
activities.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim December 17, 2003, as Wright Brothers Day.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of
December, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
eighth.
GEORGE W. BUSH

PROCLAMATION 7746--DEC. 30, 2003