Wright Brothers Day
36 U.S.C. §143 designates December 17 as Wright Brothers Day and states that it commemorates the first successful heavier-than-air mechanically propelled airplane flights by Orville and Wilbur Wright on December 17, 1903.
Date and recurrence
17 December annually
This authority record treats the observance as a fixed annual date. The same month and day can be reused unless a stronger source changes the rule.
Scope and status
The verified scope stored for this record is United States / statutory aviation commemoration. The site preserves that boundary and does not infer broader government, global or public-holiday status from the observance name alone.
Also known as
Wright Brother’s Day
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Sources
- U.S. Code — 36 USC §143, Wright Brothers DayFederal Statute
Frequently asked questions
When is Wright Brothers Day?
17 December annually The stored recurrence guidance is: 17 December.
Does Wright Brothers Day fall on the same date every year?
The authority record classifies it as fixed annual, so its month and day are reusable unless stronger evidence changes the rule.
Is Wright Brothers Day an official public holiday?
Within the verified scope, the authority record identifies it as United States / statutory aviation commemoration. That status is not automatically extended to other countries or jurisdictions.
Who established or recognizes Wright Brothers Day?
The stored designation basis is: 36 U.S.C. §143 designates December 17 as Wright Brothers Day and states that it commemorates the first successful heavier-than-air mechanically propelled airplane flights by Orville and Wilbur Wright on December 17, 1903.. Supporting provenance includes U.S. Code — 36 USC §143, Wright Brothers Day. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is Wright Brothers Day international or country-specific?
This authority record is country-scoped to United States. Its fuller verified scope is: United States / statutory aviation commemoration.
How is this page verified?
The factual layer is source-backed and keeps its date rule, scope, provenance and editorial guardrails attached to the authority record. This record was checked on 2026-09-08.
Other observances on December 17
These records also resolve to December 17, 2026 under the current authority data.
Bhutan National Day
National Device Appreciation Day
National Today gives National Device Appreciation Day an every-December-17 recurrence, and EventGuide independently lists it every December 17.
National Maple Syrup Day
Two Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals chapter calendars from different publication years list National Maple Syrup Day on 17 December.
National Maple Syrup Day Canada
National Today places the Canada-labelled observance on December 17, while U.S. GovInfo independently notes that National Maple Syrup Day is an unofficial observance celebrated annually on…