On the 17th of December 1903 the world changed forever. The first powered flight by the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina ushered in the era of powered flight, which has transformed and shaped all aspects of modern life. To mark the centenary of this momentous event, this text presents a photographic history of aviation, from the failed attempts at flying machines at the end of the 19th century, such as Lilienthal's glider, through the Wright brothers themselves and on to the pioneers who spread aviation throughout the world. It provides coverage of: Louis Bleriot's first flight across the Channel in 1909; the first transatlantic crossing in 1919 by Alcock and Whitten Brown; and Amy Johnson's first flight to Australia in 1930. It examines the rise of the first passenger airlines in the 1920s, too, and chronicles the beginnings of the jet era in the 1940s. The rise of great commercial airliners such as the Jumbo Jet, Concorde and the Airbus are also dealt with to give a comprehensive account of a century of powered flight.