Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928, but it was her mysterious disappearance in the Pacific during an attempt to fly around the world in 1937 that cemented her place in the history books. On July 24, 2010, the famed flyer would have turned 113 years old.
Taking to the Skies
But it was in California that she found her calling as an aviator. Earhart accompanied pilot Wilmer Stultz on the biplaneFriendship for a transatlantic flight. Pictured: Earhart in Newfoundland on June 14, 1928, before her first transatlantic flight.
Earhart became the first woman to take a transatlantic flight in June 1928. She accompanied Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon on the Friendship for the flight from Newfoundland to Southampton, England.
While in Britain, Earhart took solo trips around the country, and took advantage of her newfound fame to promote female flyers. Pictured: Earhart laughs during a trip to Northolt, England, in 1928.
'Lady Lindy'
Earhart's resemblance to aviator Charles Lindbergh did not go unnoticed by the press. Magazines dubbed her 'Lady Lindy' and 'Queen of the Air.' She capitalized on the fame, endorsing a clothing and luggage line, and Lucky Strike cigarettes.
Promoting Propulsion
Earhart became an avid promoter of aviation, serving as vice president of National Airways in the northeast and founder of the Ninety-Nines, a group for female pilots. Pictured: Earhart mans an experimental glider in Lake Orion, Michigan, in 1929.
Mr. Earhart
Earhart found love with George Palmer Putnam. "GP" was a divorced book publisher who promoted Earhart's 1928 transatlantic flight. He reportedly proposed six times to the aviator before she said "I do" in 1931. He joked he'd be referred to as Mr. Earhart. Pictured: the couple in France in 1932.
On May 20, 1932, Earhart embarked on her first solo transatlantic flight from Newfoundland in a bright red Lockheed Vega 5B, dubbed Old Bessie. She planned to mimic Lindbergh's flight and touch down in Paris.
United Kingdom Arrival
Earhart made it as far as Northern Ireland after nearly 15 hours of flying. Pictured: Earhart is surrounded by well-wishers, including the U.S. ambassador to Britain, Andrew Mellon, at Hanworth airfield.
Accolades Abound
Earhart's fame grew following the solo flight as GP promoted his wife as an aviation pioneer. Pictured: Earhart receives the Cross of Honor from the United States Flag Association, with Putnam at her side.
Celebrity Friends
Earhart counted among her friends first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The pair championed women's causes, and Earhart convinced Roosevelt to get a student pilot's license.
Aviatrix on a Mission
Earhart continued to promote aviation following the solo flight, but also hit new speed and distance records in the early 1930s. She became the first person to fly the Atlantic twice, first to fly nonstop coast-to-coast across the country, and the first to fly solo from Los Angeles to Mexico City.
Promoting Love of Flight
Earhart also became active as an educator. She became a faculty member at Purdue University in 1935. Pictured: She shows young people In Newark, New Jersey, the basics of flight.
Amelia Goes Hollywood
While beginning planning for an ambitious flight around the equator, Earhart took time out to teach flying lessons to Warner Brothers starlet June Travis for the film Ceiling Zero.
Ready for the Pacific
Earhart arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1935, to tackle her next adventure, a flight from Hawaii to Oakland, California, in Old Bessie. On January 11, 1935, she became the first to complete a solo flight from Honolulu to the mainland.
Amy's Plane
As part of her association with Purdue, Earhart received a new Lockheed Electra 10E airplane for her attempt to fly around the world. Pictured: She inspects the new plane at a hangar in Indianapolis in 1936.
Embarking on the World Flight
Earhart flies the Electra "Flying Laboratory" with Fred Noonan over the Golden Gate Bridge on St. Patrick's Day, 1937. A crash during takeoff in Hawaii forced the postponement of the around-the-world flight for three months.
To Brazil and Beyond
On June 11, 1937, Earhart and her navigator, Noonan, touch down in Natal, Brazil, on their way around the world. The second attempt began on June 1 and followed a west-to-east path from California to Miami to South America. By June 29 they had completed 22,000 miles, with the final leg to cover 7,000 miles over the Pacific.
Vanished in the Pacific
On July 2, 1937, Earhart took off from Lea, New Guinea, en route to Howland Island. About eight hours into the flight Earhart radioed they couldn't find the island. Her plane was never found. Pictured: Gardner Island, now Nikumaroro, an atoll 1,600 miles south of Hawaii believed by some to be the final resting place of Earhart.
Legend Lives On
Numerous theories about Earhart's disappearance exist, from being captured by the Japanese to crashing in the Pacific. Her enigmatic end has sparked the imagination and Hollywood with movies like the 2009 biopic Amelia. Pictured: Tintinmagazine from August 1956, with Earhart's illustrated story.
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