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Events on Saturday 8 August 1908 1
1908Wilbur Wright's public flights at Le MansFirst public demonstration of controlled powered flight in EuropeWilbur Wright flew before crowds of spectators and journalists near Le Mans, France, silencing doubts about the Wright brothers' earlier claims. His maneuverable, sustained flights astonished European aviators who had lagged behind in heavier-than-air flight. The demonstrations triggered a surge of aviation development across Europe.