I imagine this is a recurring topic, but I couldn't find much after researching a little and searching reddit for answers. However, I did realize the history of airplanes goes deeper than many history books tell us (or told me, back in the day). I know the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale recognizes the Wright brothers for the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air flight. But in Brazil for example, where I am from, kids are told Alberto Santos Dumont invented the airplane and there's general aversion to the idea the Wright brothers did it; the main argument is that they first used a catapult system to put planes in motion while Dumont built a plane capable of taking off by itself.

The point not often discussed in Brazil is that Dumont only did it in 1909 and his plane was not as sophisticated as the ones made by Orville and Wilbur Wright; though Dumont was a great inventor in his time, the only country that seems to believe he invented the airplane is Brazil. Also, as I understand, other countries like England and New Zealand have different figures who they claim "invented" the airplane in one way or another.

What I see is that there is a great deal of national pride in all this, each country wanting to be the true origin of something as important as the airplane, while real history is forgotten. From I could read about the subject, it is clear there is not one inventor, one person or two or three who invented the airplane. There are multiple inventors throughout history who contributed to this. The Wright Brothers represented a culmination of all this in their first successful flight.

All that said, I have a few questions: Am I in the right track in assumptions above? Also, is there a book or work relatively free of nationalist sentiments that I can read on this topic?

Finally, what is currently taught in the US and other countries you guys are from?