Chapter 7: Famous Americans

Chapter 7: Famous Americans

The Wright Brothers: Wilbur (1867-1912), Orville (1871-1948)

In 1878, Milton Wright gave his sons, Wilbur, 11, and Orville, 7, a toy helicopter. The boys loved it and this inspired them to construct and fly their own models. Their fascination with flight continued all their lives. In their free time, they began to test different designs of aeroplanes.

On 17th December, 1903, the adult Wright brothers took a plane to Kitty Hawk, an empty beach in North Carolina, Orville piloted the plane and it rose into the air, stayed there for 12 seconds and flew 36.5 metres. Success! They made three more flights that day. On the last flight, Wilbur piloted the plane for 59 seconds, over a distance of 60 metres. That day, the Age of Flight began.

John F. Kennedy (JFK) (1917-1963)

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was one of the youngest men to become President of the United States. He brought new hope to Americans and promised to give them employment and improve their living conditions.

On 22nd November, 1963, Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, went to Dallas, Texas. Many people were on the streets to see the President’s car pass. Suddenly, somebody fired at Kennedy and he fell forward. The car hurried the injured president to hospital. Sadly, President Kennedy died a short time later. The entire nation was shocked. The people couldn’t believe the young president was dead.

Millions of people around the world watched Jacqueline Kennedy and her two young children, Caroline and John F. Kennedy, Jr, lead the funeral of this popular man. It was a very sad day for everybody.

Martin Luther King - A Man with a Dream

Martin Luther King (1929-1968) was one of the most important civil rights leaders in the United States. He was a pastor in Montgomery, Alabama. At that time, there was discrimination against black people.

There were many demonstrations in the early 1960s to end this discrimination and to give equal rights to all people. King became famous for non-violent protest.

On 28th August, 1963, Martin Luther King gave a famous speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

“I have a dream,” he said, ”… that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

The next year, he became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. He was only 35.

In 1968, a criminal, James Earl Ray, assassinated Martin Luther King in Memphis, Tennessee. After that, the third Monday of January became Martin Luther King Day, so people can remember this heroic, peaceful man.