Today I Learned That Pope Francis Has the Same Birthday As the Airplane

[beamjockey]

Happy 77th, Your Holiness. Happy 110th, airplanes.

Comments

[planettom]

My grandmother really had the same birthday as the airplane --- 1903 (She died in 1998, at 95).

Speaking of Pope Francis, a few months back I was talking to this woman from Argentina, probably around 80, who had been a doctor. Back when she lived in Argentina, her family would have the Cardinal (future Pope) over for dinner on occasion. So when he became Pope, it was very much, Hometown Boy Makes Good!

[brooksmoses]

Which airplane?

(Did you see the bit recently where Jane's concluded that there was, in fact, a flight before the Wright Brothers'?)

[beamjockey]

Which airplane?

All that are more or less descended from the one that flew on 17 December 1903 at Kitty Hawk.

(Did you see the bit recently where Jane's concluded that there was, in fact, a flight before the Wright Brothers'?)

Yes. Intriguing, but I don't think the world of aviation history has stampeded to change all the textbooks yet.

[apostle_of_eris]

If you want to get beyond the usual suspects, there are also unusual.

[samwinolj]

Eh, whether or not the Wrights flew the first the airplane, they taught the world how to fly.