About Amelia Earhart

Email this page to a friend with a personal message

Amelia Earhart was one of the first women aviators. Amelia is most known for mysterious disappearance. Although most believe she disappeared in the Pacific Ocean while attempting to fly all the way around the world. She accomplished many things as a women in the 20's and 30's.

As a child Amelia was not a regular girl. She was into many things boys would normally do. Amelia climbed trees, hunted for rats and collected worms and tree toads. She was what you could call a tomboy. She was always searching for excitement. For her first flight experience she fastened a wooded ramp on her roof and went down it in a wooden box.

Amelia Saw her first air show in Des Moines, Iowa, and was not very impressed. She had her second air experience in December, 1920, when a friend of hers took her for a ride, that ride forever changed her life. After that one ride all she wanted to do was fly. It was not until almost two years later was she able to buy her own airplane. She bought the airplane with money she saved working as a social worker. The plane was painted bright yellow and she named is Canary. Soon after she set her first record, she was the first women to rise to 14,000 ft.

Years later in 1928 Amelia got a phone call. It was a man calling to ask her if she wanted to be the first women to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. With excitement she replied, "yes". She was not alone on her flight across the ocean; she was joined by a pilot named Wilmer Stultz. The team left a harbor in Newfoundland and 21 hours later landed in a port in Wales. When the two returned home they were greatly congratulated.

Later the two worked on plans for Amelia to fly solo across the globe. The first attempt failed, she had engine trouble and was forced to land her plain. The news of this flight spread world wide. President Herbert Hoover awarded her with the Distinguished Flying Cross, she was the first women to receive the award. This is when Amelia realized that women can be seen as equal to men in the work world. After that she continued to break records, and show the world what women are capable of.

Amelia broke the record for flying across the Pacific Ocean from Honolulu to Oakland California. She then flew from Mexico to Newark. She was becoming quite popular and had to be saved from crowds by big police men. By 1937 when she was getting close to her 40th birthday she prepared for her last and final record to be set. She would once again attempt to fly solo around the globe.

On June 1st, 1937, Amelia and her navigator left on their 29,000 mile trip. By June 29th they landed in New Guinea, they completed all but 7,000 miles. Their next destination was a small island called Howland Island. The island was a mile and a half long and half a mile wide. But, due to over cast skies and not being able to navigate the exact spot to land Amelia and her companion where in trouble. They contacted the coast guard and told them that fuel was low and they were unable to spot the island. The last thing they heard from Amelia was "We are running North and South".

A rescue search began, it was the most extensive search in U.S. history. After spending 4 million dollars and searching over 250,000 square miles of ocean the search was called off. Amelia Earhart will be talked about for many generations to come. She was a women of courage and ambition. She wanted to prove that women can do anything that a man can do, and that everything is a challenge no matter was sex you are.

Click here for recommended Amelia Earhart websites