John T. Daniels

John Thomas Daniels Jr. (July 31, 1873 – January 31, 1948) was a member of the U.S. Life-Saving Station in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, who took the photograph of the first powered flight on December 17, 1903.

After the Wright Flyer was hauled back from the fourth flight, a powerful gust of wind caught it.

[4] Life-Saving Stations were located along U.S. coastlines to provide emergency rescues for crew and passengers of ships foundering offshore.

In 1913, a decade after his famous photo, an older cousin of his, Josephus Daniels, became Secretary of the Navy,[5] and later, Ambassador to Mexico, while earlier in life he had been a newspaper editor and publisher, gaining a controlling interest in the Raleigh News & Observer.

In 2003, Daniels' granddaughter participated in the 100th anniversary First Flight Ceremonies at Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.