The Wright brothers were American inventors and aviation pioneers. Wilbur Wright was born in 1867 and Orville Wright in 1871 in Dayton, Ohio. Inspired by early aviation experiments and toys as children, they began experimenting with gliders in the late 1890s and achieved controlled, powered flight in 1903, making them the first to make a successful airplane. They patented their design and founded the Wright Company but had ongoing patent disputes. Wilbur died in 1912 from typhoid fever at age 45. Orville died in 1948 after witnessing the dawn of supersonic flight.