In the mid-1800s, Milton Wright was a devoted preacher traveling the Midwest while his college-educated wife Susan nurtured their children's curiosity at home. When Milton brought home a simple toy—made of bamboo, cork, paper, and a rubber band—he couldn't have imagined it would spark a revolution.
His sons, nicknamed Ulam and Bubz, became obsessed with the mechanics of flight. Despite dropping out of high school and their father's constant worry, the boys channeled their mother's gift for problem-solving into experiments that would come to change the world.
On December 17, 1903, those two boys, Orville and Wilbur Wright, achieved powered human flight at Kitty Hawk. A decade later, when Milton finally agreed to fly with Orville, he shouted three words that captured everything he'd tried to teach them: "Higher, Orville, Higher!"
Discover how a mother's dedication to teaching her kids creativity and a father's gift of a toy launched humanity into the skies.
