Proclamation 6858—Wright Brothers Day, 1995

Ninety-two years ago, Orville Wright manned the first sustained and controlled, machine-powered flight in an airplane he designed and built with his brother Wilbur. This extraordinary journey, though only 12 seconds long, was the first great achievement of a partnership that revolutionized aviation and made remarkable contributions to aerodynamics, mechanical engineering, and practical flight techniques. The Wright brothers' pioneering efforts remain enduring examples of American ingenuity and perseverance.

Today, the United States aviation industry helps to drive our economy and provides business and recreational opportunities to our citizens that were unthinkable just a century ago. Our reliance on air transit grows each year, challenging the aviation community and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to meet new safety and operational demands.

Our air transportation system, already the safest and most efficient in the world, continues to improve. In fact, efforts are underway to craft reforms that enhance the efficiency of the FAA so that America's leadership in air transportation, begun with the Wright brothers' historic flight on December 17, 1903, can continue well into the next century.

The Congress, by a joint resolution approved December 17, 1963 (77 Stat. 402; 36 U.S.C. 169), 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, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim December 17, 1995, as Wright Brothers Day.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twentieth.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON