More than a century before commercial air travel became routine, Orville Wright was born Aug. 19, 1871, in Dayton, Ohio.

Orville Wright would go on to become one of aviation’s most important pioneers alongside his brother, Wilbur. The Wright brothers developed and flew the first successful powered airplane in 1903, changing transportation and opening a new chapter in human history.

Their achievement did not come easily. The brothers spent years studying flight, building gliders and conducting experiments before successfully controlling a powered aircraft.

Orville’s Aug. 19 birthday is also shared by another name associated with groundbreaking technology: Gene Roddenberry, creator of “Star Trek,” was born on the same date in 1921. Former President Bill Clinton was also born Aug. 19, 1946.

Aug. 19 has been the date of several other notable moments in history, including the 1812 battle in which the USS Constitution defeated the British ship HMS Guerrière and earned the nickname “Old Ironsides.” In 1960, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 5, carrying two dogs that became the first animals to survive an orbital flight and return safely to Earth.

But for aviation, Aug. 19 carries a particularly fitting connection: it marks the birth of the man who, with his brother, helped turn the dream of human flight into reality.