"Tie the [handkerchief] corners to the extremities of the cross, so you have the body of a kite..."
Benjamin Franklin, to Peter Collinson,1752
The kite was first invented in China about 3,000 years ago. The first recorded construction of a kite was by the Chinese philosopher Mo Zi (c. 470-391 B.C.E.) who spent three years building it from wood. Materials ideal for kite building, such as silk for the sail material and bamboo for a strong, light frame, were plentiful in China, and kites were soon used for many purposes. Stories and records from ancient China mention kites that were used to measure distances, to test the wind, and to communicate during military maneuvers. The earliest Chinese kites were often fitted with musical instruments to create sounds as they were flown; they were decorated with mythical symbols.
The first kites were flat and rectangular in shape, but kites are now designed in a variety of forms, including boxes and other three-dimensional assemblies. Kites flown as a hobby are particularly popular in Asia, where kite flying is a ritual incorporated into the national festivals of many countries. The Chinese people believe that kites are lucky and they fly them to ward off evil spirits.
The kite has been used in important scientific research, including Benjamin Franklin's famous experiment to prove that lightening is electricity. The Wright brothers constructed a 5-foot (1.5 m) box kite in the shape of a biplane when they were experimenting with the principles of controlling an airplane in flight. This research helped the brothers achieve their dream of making the world's first controlled, heavier-than-air, human flight in 1903. Modern kites have been used to pull sledges over snow-covered terrain in the Antarctic.
