8 8 3 ▁– ▁July ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 6 7 ) ▁was ▁an ▁American ▁engineer ▁and ▁invent or ▁known ▁for ▁pione ering ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁days ▁of ▁av iation , ▁including ▁setting ▁long - distance ▁flying ▁records ▁and ▁deliver ing ▁the ▁first ▁delivery ▁of ▁air ▁mail ▁in ▁New ▁England . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁At wood ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 8 8 3 ▁in ▁Ro x bury , ▁Boston , ▁Massachusetts . ▁ ▁He ▁trained ▁at ▁the ▁Wright ▁F lying ▁School ▁at ▁H uff man ▁Pra irie , ▁near ▁Day ton , ▁Ohio , ▁with ▁fellow ▁students ▁Thomas ▁D . ▁Mill ing , ▁Cal bra ith ▁Perry ▁Rod gers ▁and ▁Henry ▁H . ▁Arnold . ▁Within ▁three ▁months ▁of ▁his ▁first ▁less on ▁he ▁fle w ▁a ▁record - bre aking ▁ ▁from ▁Boston ▁to ▁Washington , ▁DC , ▁and ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁land ed ▁on ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁la wn . ▁ ▁A ▁prize ▁of ▁$ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁was ▁offered ▁to ▁At wood ▁to ▁fly ▁between ▁Chicago ▁and ▁Mil w au kee ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 0 . ▁Between ▁August ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁and ▁August ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁he ▁fle w ▁ ▁from ▁St . ▁Louis ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁making ▁ 1 1 ▁stops ▁and ▁sp ending ▁ 2 8 ▁hours ▁ 3 1 ▁minutes