14. Neither of the Wright Brothers received their high school diplomas and forwent future formal education
In spite of this passion for learning and parental encouragement, neither Orville nor Wilbur Wright received their high school diplomas. Orville, as noted above, frequently had problems with authority during his formal education. In addition to the described incident regarding his lack of attention during classes, he was expelled from elementary school due to unspecified mischievous behavior. Electing to not finish his studies, Orville, at the age of 18, dropped out of high school after his junior year; instead, the younger brother chose to enter the world of business.
Wilbur, on the other hand, fully intended to complete his studies. The quieter and more intellectual of the pair, the elder brother was prevented from accepting his diploma after finishing four years of high school due to the family’s sudden relocation from Richmond, Indiana, to Dayton, Ohio, in 1884. In spite of this transition, Wilbur planned to attend Yale University but was hit in the face by a hockey stick whilst playing an ice-skating game in 1885. Knocking out his front teeth, the previously athletic Wilbur became noticeably depressed, withdrawing from the world and becoming housebound. It was not until the death of his mother in 1888, for whom Wilbur personally cared for in her last months, that he was able to break the depression and regain his ambitious passions. Wilbur was posthumously awarded his diploma on April 16, 1994, his 127th birthday, in recognition of his accomplishments.