Begins August 19 1939 Frequency annual | Date August 19 | |
Next time August 19, 2017 (2017-08-19) | ||
The National Aviation Day (August 19) is a United States national observation that celebrates the development of aviation.
The holiday was established in 1939 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who issued a presidential proclamation which designated the anniversary of Orville Wright's birthday to be National Aviation Day (Mr. Wright, born in 1871, was still alive when the proclamation was first issued, and would live another nine years). The proclamation was codified (USC 36:I:A:1:118), and it allows the sitting US President to proclaim August 19 as National Aviation Day each year, if desired. Their proclamation may direct all federal buildings and installations to fly the US flag on that day, and may encourage citizens to observe the day with activities that promote interest in aviation.
Notable observations
In 2014, No Sleep Records commemorated the holiday by releasing Aviator's debut LP Head In The Clouds, Hands In The Dirt.
Also in 2014, Rockstar Games commemorated the holiday by releasing aviation themed downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto V.