Brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright make four successful flights in their Wright Flyer outside Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Their flights, the first by a engine-powered aircraft, proved the capabilites of human flight.
Following the decisive American victory at the Battle of Saratoga, Charles Gravier, the French foreign minister under King Louis XVI, officially recognizes the United States as an independent nation.
For over 75 years, American Heritage has chronicled our nation's history like no other publication. Please support our trusted, non-partisan historical writing and the volunteers that sustain it by donating today. We rely on contributions from readers like you to survive. Donate
