The Flight of Daedalus and the Fall of Icarus

Woodcut printed by Riederer, Freiburg im Breisgau, 1493.

According to Greek mythology, Daedalus made a set of wings for himself and Icarus, his son in order to escape from the labyrinth of King Minos on the island of Crete.  Daedalus flew successfully from Crete to Naples, but Icarus did not.  Forgetting about his father's warning, Icarus flew so close to the sun that the wax on his wings melted, the feathers floated away, and Icarus plummeted to his death in the sea.

This woodcut is thought to be the first printed illustration of human flight.