While researching different branches of my family tree, I discovered that four aviation pioneers (Orville Wright, Wilbur Wright, Amelia Earhart, and Neil Armstrong) are related to me or my wife. The Wright Brothers (my distant cousins) were American aviation pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flying the world's first successful airplane in 1903. Amelia Earhart (my distant cousin) was an American aviation pioneer who became one of the most celebrated figures of early flight. In 1928, Earhart was the first female passenger to cross the Atlantic by airplane. In 1932, she became the first woman to make a nonstop solo transatlantic flight. In 1937, Earhart (and her navigator Fred Noonan) disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. Neil Armstrong (my wife's distant cousin) was a naval aviator, test pilot and American astronaut. In 1966, he became NASA's first civilian astronaut to fly in space. In 1969, Armstrong became the first astronaut to step on the surface of the Moon.
