Solar Impulse 2 in Honolulu Aug 19, 2025

Solar Impulse 2 in Honolulu

Planes, progress, and a whole lot of sky. National Aviation Day gives us a reason to pause and appreciate how aviation has shaped the modern world—and the innovators who dared to dream of flight. The national day was established in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to honor Orville Wright"s contributions to aviation. Wright, born on this day in 1871, achieved the first powered, controlled flight in 1903 along with his brother Wilbur. The day is recognized as an opportunity to promote the advancement of aviation through public events and educational activities. Many aviation museums offer free or discounted entry, and airfields often hold open houses to engage the community.

© Solar Impulse/Revillard/Sipa/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Aug 19, 2018Oh, the places you’ll go
Aug 19, 2019On the wings of the Wright brothers
Aug 19, 2020Freeze frame
Aug 19, 2021Happy World Photography Day!
Aug 19, 2022National Aviation Day
Aug 19, 2023World Photography Day
Aug 19, 2024National Aviation Day
Aug 19, 2026National Aviation Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jun 2, 2025National Garden Week begins today
Jan 6, 2021Travels to the Oregon deep
Feb 12, 2018National Museum of African American History and Culture
Sep 23, 2021Last stop before leaving the solar system
Jul 9, 2023Moselle River loop near Kröv, Germany
Jul 14, 2024La Geria wine region, Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Sep 20, 2024Ocracoke Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina
Apr 22, 2023Earth Day and National Park Week
Jun 29, 2022International Day of the Tropics
Jun 18, 2021A city of bridges
Aug 5, 2025Tide pools in La Jolla, California
Feb 22, 2024Bathing boxes at Brighton Beach, Australia
Dec 16, 2022Atlanta Botanical Garden
Nov 4, 2019Stepping stones in Tollymore Forest Park, Northern Ireland
Aug 21, 2026Winding road of Julier Pass, Switzerland
Dec 5, 2019A growing business
Jul 5, 2026Lavender rows, Plateau de Valensole, Provence, France
Feb 19, 2018Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC
Dec 19, 2019Winter at Valley Forge
Apr 21, 2023Procida, Italy
Mar 10, 2019In praise of the pipes
Jul 28, 2019Road-trip worthy attraction in the heartland
Sep 12, 2020A city, a cliff, a canyon…and cheese
Sep 29, 2020A crush in Lavaux
Apr 2, 2024Beech trees and wild anemones, Jutland, Denmark
Aug 25, 2024National Park Service Founders Day
Dec 5, 2022Saint Nicholas Day in Verbier, Switzerland
Feb 27, 2019A predator at risk
Dec 30, 2018Adorably evolutionary sea sheep
Oct 7, 2022Berlin Festival of Lights