the wrights invented the airplane.
Well, if you play on words and claim a glider not to be an airplane...
Who invents something? The first who makes a sketch and some calculations? The first who actually builds it? Or the first who actually uses it? In the latter case, the Wrights probably invented the airplane.
There is nothing technical on the wright plane which was not already invented, discussed and published before. But what makes the difference: the Wrights actually
flew it! And that earns them their place in history.