The first manned flight occurred on December 17, 1903, conducted by Orville and Wilbur Wright in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The Wright brothers successfully piloted their aircraft, the Wright Flyer, which flew for 12 seconds and covered a distance of 120 feet. This momentous event marked the beginning of the era of aviation and represented the culmination of years of experiments and innovations in flight. Both brothers took turns piloting the Flyer, with Orville being the first to fly. Their achievement laid the groundwork for future developments in aviation technology and transformed transportation worldwide.