Today in History: Wright Brothers Make First Powered Flight
1989: “The Simpsons” premiered on Fox, becoming the longest-running animated series in U.S. television history.
Today is Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, the 351st day of the year. Fourteen days remain.On this date in 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved the first successful manned, powered airplane flight near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Flying their experimental aircraft, the Wright Flyer, the brothers completed four short flights, marking the birth of modern aviation.
Other notable events on this date include:
1777: France officially recognized the independence of the United States, becoming one of the first nations to do so.
1933: The Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants 23–21 in the first NFL championship game.
1944: U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Henry C. Pratt rescinded incarceration orders for people of Japanese ancestry during World War II, ending the policy that forced more than 110,000 people into internment camps.
1963: President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Clean Air Act, the first federal law aimed at controlling air pollution.
1975: Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme was sentenced to life in prison for attempting to assassinate President Gerald Ford. She was paroled in 2009.
1979: Arthur McDuffie, a Black insurance broker, was beaten by Miami police following a motorcycle chase. He died four days later, and the officers’ acquittals sparked riots in the city.
1989: “The Simpsons” premiered on Fox, becoming the longest-running animated series in U.S. television history.
1992: Leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico signed the North American Free Trade Agreement. NAFTA took effect in 1994 and was replaced by the USMCA in 2020.
2014: The United States and Cuba announced plans to restore diplomatic relations after more than five decades.
2024: Russian Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov was killed by a bomb outside his Moscow apartment, a day after being accused by Ukraine of directing the use of banned chemical weapons.
Today’s birthdays include:
Actor Armin Mueller-Stahl (95), actor Ernie Hudson (80), political commentator Chris Matthews (80), comedian Eugene Levy (79), actor Wes Studi (78), singer Paul Rodgers (76), actor Bill Pullman (72), filmmaker Peter Farrelly (69), R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills (67), country singer Tracy Byrd (59), actor Laurie Holden (56), actor Claire Forlani (54), filmmaker Rian Johnson (52), actors Sarah Paulson and Giovanni Ribisi (51), actor Milla Jovovich (50), boxer Manny Pacquiao (47), actor Emma Bell (39), and actor-singer Nat Wolff (31).