Topics Related to Outer Banks

On December 24, 1902, Reginald Fessenden, who had previously engaged in experiments on the Outer Banks, made the first intentional wireless radio broadcast, playing his violin and reading a passage from the Bible.

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first successful powered flight in a heavier-than-air craft.

On December 6, 1955, Russian immigrant Dr. Igor Bensen made the world’s first gyrocopter flight at Kill Devil Hills.

On November 24, 1877, the USS Huron ran aground near Nags Head, en route for Havana from New York. Commander George P.

On June 3, 1905, Lumina, a pavilion on Wrightsville Beach known as the “Fun Spot of the South” opened for the first time.

On May 22, 1939, work began on Jennette’s Ocean Pier in Nags Head, the first fishing pier on the Outer Banks.

Each summer , thousands of tourists descend on the Outer Banks for fun in the sun. Though the region is long on history, many visitors don’t grasp the rich past of North Carolina’s coastal region while on their beach trips.

From the early explorations of the Carolina coast in the late 1500s to the Civil War Battle of Roanoke Island in 1863 to the impact of modern hurricanes like Frank and Floyd, the central Outer Banks region has a long and storied past.

A 16^th century cruise with elementary school students, a visit with animals on a living history farm and a historic lighting were all part of Cultural Resources Secretary Susan Kluttz’s recent trip to the coast.