Flights Perspective

 When Orville Wright died, (January 30, 1948 age 76), Neil Armstrong was 17 years old (born August 5, 1930).

The American Wright brothers, inventors, and aviation pioneers are generally credited with inventing, building, and flying the world's first successful airplane. They made the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft on December 17, 1903. Neil was the first man to walk on the moon July 20, 1969, sixty six years later. The first Mars landing was July 21, 1976, seven years later.

Time

The new year is a good time to think about time. In 1903, the Wright brothers performed their first successful flight.

In 1941, 38 years later, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. (Mount Rushmore was completed in 1941).

In 1969, just 28 years after that, man landed on the moon. In 66 years man went from flight a few feet off the earth to flying to the moon.

In 2012, 109 years after the Wright brothers flight we landed a craft on Mars and it is communicating back to us with pictures.

Wikipedia lists the names of 41 people born during or before 1903 that are still living.

Smithsonian

This week in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. was established by the United States Congress as an institute of learning. An Englishman, James Smithson, made it possible to create the eponymous institute with his gift of $500,000. It was an enormous amount of money back then.

The Smithsonian Institution supports a wide variety of research projects and publications. It also houses the national museums of natural history, technology, art and history. One of the most popular is the National Air Museum which contains the Wright Brothers original biplane.

It is the world's largest museum and research complex and includes 19 museums and galleries as well as the National Zoological Park. Most Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are free and open every day of the year except December 25.

The Smithsonian has something for everyone from every era. You can find Archie Bunker’s chair and Fonzie's leather jack among other treasures. It provides a much better experience than Disney World or any other amusement park, especially for school age children, from first grade through college.

If you are in the area, plan to spend a few days. If you are not in the area, there is much you can still learn from the comfort of your armchair and the Internet. You will be surprised at what you can learn. One of the few places around DC that is refreshingly free of politics.