"The human bird shall take his first flight, filling the world with amazement, all writings with his fame, and bringing eternal glory to the nest whence he sprang."

-Leonardo da Vinci, Italian painter and inventor, 1452-1519

This quote was taken from da Vinci’s notes, and shows his fascination with flight. Cited from: Merezhkovsky, Dmitry. The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci: The Forerunner. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1908. 300.