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Wilbur Wright flying a Wright Flyer around the Statue of Liberty on September 29, 1909, during the Hudson-Fulton Celebration. The historic flight was the first time an airplane flew over a body of water, and Wilbur circled the Statue of Liberty to demonstrate aviation's progress. 

• Who: Wilbur Wright was the pilot, not Orville.
• What: He flew a Wright Model A Flyer. For safety, he attached a canoe to the plane's bottom as a float in case of a water landing.
• When: The flight took place on September 29, 1909.
• Where: He flew around the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, taking off from Governors Island.
• Why: The flight was part of the Hudson-Fulton Celebration, which honored the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson's discovery of the Hudson River and the 100th anniversary of Robert Fulton's first commercial steamboat.