Amelia Mary Earhart (/ˈɛərhɑːrt/AIR-hart, born July 24, 1897 – disappeared July 2, 1937, declared dead January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer and author.^{[2][Note 1]} Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.^[4] She set many other records,^{[3][Note 2]} was one of the first aviators to promote commercial air travel, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences, and was instrumental in the formation of The Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots.^[6]

During an attempt at becoming the first female to complete a circumnavigational flight of the globe in 1937 in a Purdue-funded Lockheed Model 10-E Electra, Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island. The two were last seen in Lae, New Guinea, on July 2, 1937, on the last land stop before Howland Island and one of their final legs of the flight. She presumably lost her life in the Pacific during the circumnavigation, just three weeks prior to her fortieth birthday.^[10] Nearly one year and six months after she and Noonan disappeared, Earhart was officially declared dead. Investigations and significant public interest in their disappearance still continue over 80 years later.^{[Note 3]}

Records and Achievements:

• Woman’s world altitude record: 14,000 ft (1922)
• First woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean (1928)
• Speed records for 100 km (and with 500 lb (230 kg) cargo) (1931)
• First woman to fly an autogyro (1931)
• Altitude record for autogyros: 18,415 ft (1931)
• First woman to cross the United States in an autogyro (1931)
• First woman to fly the Atlantic solo (1932)
• First person to fly the Atlantic twice (1932)
• First woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross (1932)
• First woman to fly nonstop, coast-to-coast across the U.S. (1932) ^[314]
• Women’s speed transcontinental record (1933)
• First person to fly solo between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Oakland, California (1935)^{[Note 55]}
• First person to fly solo from Los Angeles to Mexico City (1935)
• First person to fly solo nonstop from Mexico City to Newark, New Jersey (1935)
• Speed record for east-to-west flight from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii (1937)^[316]
• First person to fly solo from the Red Sea to Karachi (1937)

“Amelia Earhart.” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Earhart. Accessed 6 Nov. 2021.

Links:

• Official Amelia Earhart website
• ~5 minute speech by Amelia Earhart
• Archives and Special Collection by Purdue Libraries
• Ninety Nines