ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

History of aviation

Aviation is the fancy word we use to talk about flying or airplanes. A long time ago, people used to dream about flying just like birds. They used to build things like wings or gliders to try and imitate them, but they soon realized that was not enough to get off the ground.

One day, a very clever man named Orville Wright and his brother Wilbur figured out how to make a machine that could fly. This machine was called an airplane. They built it with a special engine, a pair of wings, and a propeller that could spin and move the airplane forward.

On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers flew their airplane for the first time in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, for a few seconds. They had made history by proving that it was possible for humans to fly. From then on, people started inventing and building their own airplanes and creating new ways to fly.

Over time, planes became much bigger and more powerful than the Wright Brothers' first airplane. They could fly faster and higher, and they were used for lots of things, like fighting in wars, traveling long distances, shipping goods, and exploring outer space!

Today, aviation is a vital part of the modern world, connecting people and countries across the globe. Millions of people travel by planes each day, and they have become a necessary part of our lives. It all started with two brothers and their dream to fly, and now we can't imagine our world without airplanes.