The Wright Brothers | The Art of the Bird | 1

American History Tellers

Wondery

Society & Culture, Kids & Family, History, Education For Kids

4.7 • 18.3K Ratings

🗓️ 1 January 2025

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the late-1890s, two brothers from Ohio, Wilbur and Orville Wright, became obsessed with what Wilbur described as “the problem of flight.” With no formal training or funding, they threw themselves into studying the mechanics of birds, determined to design a new method of flying for humans. They soon began building a glider in the small workshop above their bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio.

It wasn’t long before the Wright brothers would travel to North Carolina’s Outer Banks to test their glider. Facing swarming mosquitoes and biting winds, they would risk their lives in their quest to be the first pilots to the sky.

Order your copy of the new American History Tellers book, The Hidden History of the White House, for behind-the-scenes stories of some of the most dramatic events in American history—set right inside the house where it happened.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, history buffs, if you can't get enough of the captivating stories we uncover on American
0:04.7	history tellers, you'll love the exclusive experience of Wondry Plus.
0:08.4	Dive even deeper into the past with ad-free episodes, early access to new seasons, and
0:13.0	bonus content that brings history to life like never before.
0:16.2	Join Wondery Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcast and embark on an unparalleled journey through America's most pivotal moments.
0:37.0	Imagine it's a breezy August afternoon in 1899, and you're standing in a field on the outskirts of Dayton, Ohio.
0:44.5	You're a bicycle maker, but today you've left the bicycles behind in the shop to test a theory you've become obsessed with.
0:51.4	You and your brother are going to fly a kite, but not any kind. It's a prototype
0:55.8	of a glider you dream of one day flying in yourself. As you assemble your materials on the grass,
1:02.6	you notice a few boys have gathered to watch. You nod in their direction. Hey boys, stand over there,
1:08.6	please, out of the way. My brother and I are working. Your younger brother Orville gives them a friendly wave.
1:13.6	I mean, you can watch, but stay off the field. We don't want anyone getting hurt.
1:18.6	You finish assembling the large kite, which consists of two rectangular wings, each five feet long and 18 inches wide, stacked on top of each other. They're separated by
1:29.3	vertical struts, and all of it is held together by wire. Orville looks over to you for instruction,
1:35.1	and you hand him a length of cord. All right, let's get these lines tied to the end of each wing.
1:39.7	All right? Just make sure the other ends are tight, tight. If we want to control the kites' movements,
1:44.3	all these lines need to be taught. Once the lines have been secured, you grasp a wooden control stick
1:50.0	in your hand while your brother takes another. All right, you ready? I'm ready. You each lift one end
1:56.3	of the kite and hoisted in the air until the breeze catches it. In an instant, it's 20 feet overhead and then 30.
2:03.6	You weren't sure it was going to fly so easily, but now you're amazed to see it magically dancing on the wind.
2:09.6	Looks like it's working. Let the line out slowly. Let's go a bit higher.
2:12.6	Oh, she is beautiful. You feel a surge of excitement.
	...

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