This Day, That Year – December 17

The Wright brothers made the first sustained motorized aircraft flight on this day in 1903.

Did you know that:

• Humphry Davy, best known for his discovery of elements such as potassium and sodium, was an English chemist born on this day in 1778
• A patent was granted to John and Joseph Inshaw for the invention of locomotive engines on this day in 1858
• George Brownell patented a machine to make paper twine on this day in 1895