National Paper Airplane Day
About National Paper Airplane Day
When is National Paper Airplane Day? This holiday is always celebrated on May 26
Today is going to be a fun day. This holiday is not about promoting a cause. It’s not a commemoration of an event, good or bad. Rather, National Paper Airplane Day is a day to play with a child’s toy and just have fun. On this May 26 holiday, people of all ages celebrate by making, decorating, and playing with paper airplanes. This holiday is Wendell and Oliver Wright approved. And, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they flew them at Kitty Hawk before they made their infamous flight.
It’s child’s play. Let’s all be kids again and make a plane out of paper. If you’re an adult, you’d probably admit to flying them around the home or in the office. Need to send a message to the boss? Forget sending it via email or in a text today. Instead, write it on a sheet of paper. Then fold it into an airplane and send the message to him via airmail straight into his office. It just might get his attention faster than sending the message in a text. In any case, it’s bound to get some kind of reaction from him.
People have been making and flying these aeronautical gliders for hundreds of years. Kids love them, and adults love them, too. But, it’s not all for play. Flying paper airplanes is a competitive activity with competitions held around the world to see who has the best design to fly them faster, higher, and longer. So, grab a few sheets of paper, and let’s go flying!
The History of Paper Airplanes
It all began in the year 105 when paper was invented in China. Paper would revolutionize the world. Man no longer needed to write history on the walls of caves. It is used for so many things, including newspapers to keep us up to date on current events, books to teach and entertain us, greeting cards, art projects, and paper to send each other messages. We make wallpaper to decorate our homes. And of course, it is used to make paper airplanes.
Paper kites were invented somewhere between 200 – 250. But, paper airplanes would not be invented until many centuries later. It is not known who invented the paper airplane or exactly when it was invented. In 1859, a book for kids contained instructions on how to fold paper to make a “paper dart”. Then in 1873, the term “paper airplane: replaced the word “paper dart.
Since its invention, kids and adults have been making them and having loads of fun. From a simple design in the 1800s, creative minds have come up with 50 designs. We decorate them too, using colored pencils, crayons, decals and stickers.
For the Record
We all love to fly our paper airplanes to see how far they will fly and how long it stays in the air. We do it for fun. But, for some of us, it is a serious, record-setting endeavor.
Guinness World Records:
Longest Time in the Air: On December 19, 2010, Takuo Toda from Japan set the record at 29.2 seconds in the air.
Longest Distance: In February 2102 Joe Ayob from California, flew a paper airplane a record 226′ 10″. Joe was a former college quarterback. Did that help him to set the world record? Possibly. The plane was constructed by John Collins.
Highest Altitude: On June 24, 2015, David Green flew a paper airplane from a record-high altitude of 114,970.5 feet.
Largest Plane: On September 28, 2013, students and employees at the Braunschweig Institute of Technology in Braunschweig, Germany launched the biggest paper airplane ever. The plane had a wingspan of 59.7 feet.
How to Celebrate National Paper Airplane Day
Here are a few fun ways to participate in and celebrate National Paper Airplane Day:
- Fly your paper airplane.
- Begin by folding a piece of paper into your favorite paper airplane design. Create a new design. As previously mentioned, there currently are over 50 designs.
- Before you launch it to hopefully soar above the clouds, decorate it.
- Have a paper airplane party and give prizes for the best design, and best-decorated plane.
- Grade schoolteachers can have paper airplane-making and decorating projects in art class.
- Have a contest to see who can fly it the farthest and for the longest airtime.
Today's Quotes
“Airplanes are interesting toys, but of no military value.” – – Ferdinand Foch
“Airplane travel is nature’s way of making you look like your passport photo.” – – Al Gore
“If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes.” – – Charles Lindbergh
History and Origin of National Paper Airplane Day
Our research has not uncovered the creator of this holiday or any other information about its creation. We tracked references about his holiday back to 2018.
National Paper Airplane Day is not a true “National” day. We did not find any congressional records or presidential proclamations for this day. We also found a reference to this as an International holiday.
More May 26 Holidays
Here is another May 25 holiday you will enjoy:
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