Amelia Earhart was a groundbreaking American aviation pioneer who vanished over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe. She was the first woman to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean and established numerous other aviation records. Beyond her flying achievements, Earhart championed commercial air travel, authored best-selling books detailing her experiences, and played a key role in establishing the Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots. Her life and disappearance have made her a lasting cultural icon, symbolizing adventure and women's empowerment.
In 1904, with the help of her uncle, Amelia Earhart constructed a home-made ramp that was fashioned after a roller coaster she had seen on a trip to St. Louis, Missouri, and secured it to the roof of the family tool shed. She emerged from her first flight with a bruised lip, a torn dress and a "sensation of exhilaration".
In 1907, Edwin Earhart's job as a claims officer for the Rock Island Railroad led to the family's transfer to Des Moines, Iowa, marking a change in their living environment.
In 1909, the Earhart children were enrolled in public school for the first time in Des Moines, Iowa. Amelia, at the age of 12, entered seventh grade, marking a significant transition from homeschooling.
In 1912, Amelia Earhart's maternal grandfather, Alfred Gideon Otis, who was a former judge and president of Atchison Savings Bank, passed away.
In 1913, David Binney Putnam, the explorer and writer, was born. He was George Palmer Putnam's son from his previous marriage to Dorothy Binney.
In 1914, Edwin Earhart was forced to retire due to alcoholism, and Amelia's grandmother, Amelia Otis, passed away, leaving a substantial estate in a trust for her daughter to protect it from Edwin's drinking habits. The Otis house was auctioned along with its contents.
In 1915, Edwin Earhart found work in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Amelia entered Central High School. Later, Amy Earhart took her children to Chicago, where Amelia enrolled in Hyde Park High School after carefully selecting it for its superior science program.
In 1916, Amelia Earhart graduated from Hyde Park High School. Throughout her childhood, she aspired to a career and kept a scrapbook of newspaper clippings about successful women in male-dominated fields.
During Christmas vacation in 1917, Amelia Earhart visited her sister in Toronto, Canada, and witnessed wounded soldiers returning from World War I. She trained as a nurse's aide with the Red Cross and worked at Spadina Military Hospital, where she developed an interest in flying after hearing stories from military pilots.
In December 1918, Amelia Earhart was discharged from Spadina Military Hospital, about two months after contracting the 1918 Spanish flu and being hospitalized for pneumonia and maxillary sinusitis.
In 1919, Amelia Earhart prepared to enter Smith College but changed her plans and enrolled in medical studies and other programs at Columbia University.
In 1919, Sir Arthur Whitten Brown, alongside John Alcock, completed the first non-stop transatlantic flight.
On December 28, 1920, Amelia Earhart and her father attended an "aerial meet" at Daugherty Field in Long Beach, California, where she inquired about passenger flights and flying lessons.
On January 3, 1921, Amelia Earhart had her first flying lesson at Kinner Field with Neta Snook. To afford the lessons, she worked various jobs and saved $1,000.
In 1921, George Palmer Putnam Jr. was born. He was George Palmer Putnam's son from his previous marriage to Dorothy Binney.
On October 22, 1922, Amelia Earhart flew her Airster to an altitude of 14,000 feet, setting a world record for female pilots, showcasing her skill and determination in aviation.
On May 16, 1923, Amelia Earhart became the 16th woman in the United States to be issued a pilot's license (#6017) by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), marking a significant milestone in her aviation career.
In 1924, Amelia Earhart was hospitalized for another unsuccessful sinus operation due to her worsening sinus problem. During this time, she also tried setting up a photography company and other ventures.
In 1924, following her parents' divorce, Amelia Earhart drove her mother in her "Yellow Peril" on a transcontinental trip from California, with stops throughout the western United States and northward to Banff, Alberta, Canada.
In 1925, Amelia Earhart found employment as a teacher and later as a social worker at Denison House, a Boston settlement house, while living in Medford, Massachusetts.
In 1927, Amelia Earhart flew the first official flight out of Dennison Airport in Quincy, Massachusetts, and also worked as a sales representative for Kinner Aircraft in the Boston area.
In 1927, Charles Lindbergh's successful solo transatlantic flight inspired American heiress Amy Phipps Guest to want to become the first woman to cross the Atlantic by air.
In March 1928, Amy Phipps Guest assembled a team of aviation professionals, including pilot Wilmer Stultz, to support her endeavor to become the first woman to cross the Atlantic by air.
In April 1928, George Palmer Putnam learned of Amy Guest's planned transatlantic attempt and, with Hilton Railey, took on the task of finding the "right sort of girl" for the flight, leading them to Amelia Earhart.
On June 3, 1928, after several unsuccessful attempts, the Friendship, with adjustments to reduce weight and the departure of Lou Gower, successfully took off from East Boston to begin its transatlantic journey to Trepassey, Newfoundland.
In June 1928, Friendship departed Burry Port Harbour beginning the final leg of its journey to Southampton. A potentially historic meeting between Amelia Earhart and Sir Arthur Whitten Brown, who had completed the first non-stop transatlantic flight, was narrowly missed due to a miscommunication during departure.
On July 6, 1928, Amelia Earhart and the crew of Friendship were honored with a ticker-tape parade along the Canyon of Heroes in New York City to celebrate the first successful transatlantic flight by a woman.
In August 1928, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the North American continent and back.
In August 1928, Amelia Earhart completed a transcontinental record flight using an Avro Avian aircraft, which was later retraced in 2001 by Carlene Mendieta as a commemorative flight.
On November 23, 1928, Amelia Earhart broke off her engagement with Samuel Chapman, a chemical engineer from Boston.
Immediately after her return to the United States in 1928, Amelia Earhart undertook an exhausting lecture tour and accepted media endorsements for products, including luggage.
In 1928, Amelia Earhart became the aviation editor for Cosmopolitan, marking a significant role in her writing career.
In 1928, Amelia Earhart became the first female passenger to cross the Atlantic by airplane, gaining celebrity status following this event.
In 1929, Amelia Earhart's piloting skills and professionalism were acknowledged by experienced professional pilots who flew with her.
In 1929, George Putnam heavily promoted Amelia Earhart, which included publishing a book she wrote, organizing a series of new lecture tours, and using her pictures in media endorsements. Earhart accepted a Lucky Strike cigarettes endorsement deal to support Richard Evelyn Byrd's imminent expedition to the South Pole.
In 1929, George Putnam, known as GP, was divorced and started pursuing Amelia Earhart, proposing to her six times before she agreed to marry him.
In 1929, Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) appointed Amelia Earhart and Margaret Bartlett Thornton to promote air travel, particularly for women, and Earhart helped set up the Ludington Airline, the first regional shuttle service between New York and Washington, D.C.
In 1929, following the Women's Air Derby, Amelia Earhart called a meeting of female pilots to form an organization. She suggested the name Ninety-Nines, based on the number of charter members.
In 1930, Amelia Earhart became an official of the National Aeronautic Association, and in this role, she promoted the establishment of separate women's records in aviation.
In 1930, Amelia Earhart became the first president of the Ninety-Nines, an organization of female pilots providing moral support and advancing the cause of women in aviation.
In 1930, Amelia Earhart ended her role as the aviation editor for Cosmopolitan, concluding her two-year tenure with the magazine.
In 1930, Amelia Earhart's father, Samuel "Edwin" Stanton Earhart, passed away.
On February 7, 1931, Amelia Earhart married her public relations manager George P. Putnam in a marriage of convenience at Putnam's mother's house in Noank, Connecticut.
On April 8, 1931, Amelia Earhart set a world altitude record of 18,415 feet (5,613 m) flying a Pitcairn PCA-2 autogyro she borrowed from the Beech-Nut Chewing Gum company.
On May 20, 1932, Amelia Earhart, at age 34, departed from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, in her Lockheed Vega 5B, aiming to fly solo to Paris. She carried a copy of the Telegraph-Journal to verify the flight's date. After contending with adverse conditions, she landed in a pasture near Derry, Northern Ireland, after a 14-hour and 56-minute flight.
By 1932 Amelia Earhart's visibility in the media helped redefine public perceptions of women in aviation and paved the way for her subsequent solo transatlantic flight.
In 1932 Isabel Ebel helped Earhart. In 1934, Earhart interceded on Isabel Ebel's behalf to be accepted as the first woman student of aeronautical engineering at New York University (NYU).
In 1932, Amelia Earhart achieved the milestone of becoming the first woman to make a nonstop solo transatlantic flight, for which she was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
In November 1934, while Amelia Earhart was away on a speaking tour, a fire occurred at the Putnam residence in Rye, destroying many family treasures and personal mementos. Following the fire, the couple decided to move to the west coast.
In 1934, Amelia Earhart interceded on behalf of Isabel Ebel, to be accepted as the first woman student of aeronautical engineering at New York University (NYU).
In 1934, after the Bendix Trophy Race banned women from competing, Amelia Earhart refused to fly screen actor Mary Pickford to Cleveland to open the race.
On January 11, 1935, Amelia Earhart became the first aviator to fly solo from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Oakland, California, using a Lockheed 5C Vega. The flight was mostly routine, and she listened to a Metropolitan Opera broadcast during the final hours.
On April 19, 1935, Amelia Earhart flew solo from Los Angeles to Mexico City using her Lockheed Vega aircraft, nicknamed "old Bessie, the fire horse".
In June 1935, at Amelia Earhart's urging, George Putnam purchased a small house in Toluca Lake, a celebrity enclave between the Warner Brothers and Universal Pictures studio complexes.
In September 1935, Amelia Earhart and Paul Mantz established the Earhart-Mantz Flying School, controlled by Mantz. Also in September 1935, Earhart joined Purdue University as a visiting faculty member and technical advisor.
By 1935, Amelia Earhart recognized the limitations of her Lockheed Vega for long, transoceanic flights and started contemplating a circumnavigation of the globe and would need a new aircraft.
In 1935, Amelia Earhart joined Purdue University as a visiting faculty member. She served as an advisor in aeronautical engineering and as a career counselor to female students, contributing to education and women's causes.
In 1935, Amelia Earhart participated in the Bendix Trophy long-distance air race, finishing fifth due to her Lockheed Vega being slower than the purpose-built aircraft. The race was marred by the death of a competitor and challenging weather conditions.
In 1935, Amelia Earhart planted the "Earhart Tree" on Banyan Drive in Hilo, Hawaii, which stands as a living memorial.
In 1997, on the 60th anniversary of Amelia Earhart's round-the-world flight attempt, San Antonio businesswoman Linda Finch retraced Earhart's final flight path using a restored 1935 Lockheed Electra 10.
In July 1936, Lockheed Aircraft Company built the Lockheed Electra 10E airplane, funded by Purdue University's Amelia Earhart Fund for Aeronautical Research, with extra fuel tanks and other modifications. Amelia Earhart called it her "flying laboratory".
Early in 1936, Amelia Earhart started planning a 29,000-mile flight around the world along an equatorial route, with the intention of being the first woman to do so. She intended to generate publicity for a planned book about the expedition.
Following the March 1937 Hawaii crash, a small section of Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra starboard engine nacelle was recovered and confirmed as authentic. It now serves as a control piece to authenticate future discoveries.
On March 17, 1937, Amelia Earhart and her crew set out on the first leg of her round-the-world flight. A non-fatal crash damaged the aircraft during takeoff from Luke Field in Pearl Harbor, leading to the abandonment of this attempt.
On June 29, 1937, Amelia Earhart and Noonan arrived at Lae, New Guinea, after numerous stops in South America, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. At this point, approximately 22,000 miles of their journey had been completed, with 7,000 miles remaining over the Pacific Ocean.
On July 2, 1937, Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. This event marked the beginning of the mystery surrounding her fate.
On the morning of July 6, 1937, an Oakland radio amateur was reported to have heard emergency transmissions, seemingly from Amelia Earhart.
In late July 1937, after the end of the official search, George Putnam financed a private search of nearby Pacific islands and waters for Amelia Earhart, directed from the United States.
Official search efforts for Amelia Earhart, Noonan, and the Electra 10E ended on July 19, 1937, after an extensive and costly air-and-sea search by the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, that cost $4 million, but no physical evidence was found.
In 1937, Amelia Earhart, accompanied by her navigator Fred Noonan, disappeared near Howland Island in the central Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first woman to complete a circumnavigational flight of the globe. They were flying a Lockheed Model 10-E Electra airplane, and were last seen in Lae, New Guinea.
In 1938, Zonta International established the Amelia Earhart Fellowship, awarding US$10,000 annually to women pursuing Ph.D. degrees in aerospace engineering and space sciences.
On January 5, 1939, Amelia Earhart was officially declared dead, approximately one year and six months after her disappearance over the Pacific Ocean. This declaration formally concluded the search efforts, though the circumstances of her disappearance remained unresolved.
By 1940, Amelia Earhart had been appointed as the Vice President of National Airways, which operated Boston-Maine Airways and several other airlines in the northeastern US, and by 1940 had become Northeast Airlines.
In 1942, the United States launched a Liberty ship named SS Amelia Earhart in honor of the aviator, before it was wrecked in 1948.
In 1948, the United States Liberty ship named SS Amelia Earhart, launched in 1942 in honor of the aviator, was wrecked.
In 1962, Amelia Earhart's mother, Amelia "Amy" Earhart, née Otis, passed away.
In 1963, the United States Postmaster-General issued the Amelia Earhart Commemorative Stamp (8¢ airmail postage) to honor her legacy.
In 1964, Purdue University opened Earhart Hall, named in honor of Amelia Earhart's legacy and her contributions to the university as a career counselor and technical advisor.
In 1967, Ann Pellegreno flew a Lockheed 10A Electra, similar to Amelia Earhart's aircraft, to complete a round-the-world flight following Earhart's original flight plan. Pellegreno dropped a wreath over Howland Island to honor Earhart on the 30th anniversary of her disappearance.
In 1968, decades after her presumed death, Amelia Earhart was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame, recognizing her contributions to aviation history.
In 1970, the book "Amelia Earhart Lives" was published, presenting a theory by Joseph Gervais that Earhart survived her world flight and assumed a new identity.
Circa 1971, a statue of Amelia Earhart by Ernest Shelton was erected in Los Angeles, California.
In 1973, Amelia Earhart was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame, honoring her impact and legacy as a pioneer for women.
In 1982, Dorothy Binney, the mother of David Binney Putnam and George Palmer Putnam Jr. and the former wife of George Palmer Putnam, passed away.
Amelia Earhart was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1992, recognizing her contributions and impact.
In 1992, David Binney Putnam, the explorer and writer and son of George Palmer Putnam, passed away.
Since 1996, the Amelia Earhart Festival has been an annual event in Atchison, Kansas, celebrating her life and legacy.
In 1997, on the 60th anniversary of Amelia Earhart's round-the-world flight attempt, San Antonio businesswoman Linda Finch retraced Earhart's final flight path using a restored 1935 Lockheed Electra 10.
In 1998, Grace Muriel Earhart, Amelia's younger sister, passed away. She was also known by her middle name Muriel and acted as a dutiful follower of Amelia during their childhood.
In 2001, Carlene Mendieta flew an original Avro Avian aircraft, the same type used by Amelia Earhart in 1928, to retrace Earhart's August 1928 transcontinental record flight route.
In November 2006, the National Geographic Channel aired an episode of its series Undiscovered History, which suggested Amelia Earhart survived her world flight, changed her name, remarried, and became Irene Craigmile Bolam.
In May 2007, the USNS Amelia Earhart was named in her honor, continuing the legacy of the famous pilot.
In 2008, a full-sized bronze statue of Amelia Earhart was placed at the Spirit of Flight Center in Lafayette, Colorado.
In 2009, Purdue University erected a bronze statue of Amelia Earhart holding a propeller in front of Earhart Hall, the residence hall named after her.
In 2012, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton paid tribute to Amelia Earhart at a State Department event, celebrating Earhart's legacy and ties to Pacific neighbors.
In 2013, Flying magazine ranked Amelia Earhart No. 9 on its list of the "51 Heroes of Aviation".
In 2013, George Palmer Putnam Jr., the son of George Palmer Putnam, passed away.
In 1970, Irene Craigmile Bolam requested $1.5 million in damages (equivalent to $12 million in 2024) following the publication of the book "Amelia Earhart Lives".
In 2024, the equivalent cost of Amelia Earhart's first flight would be $160.
In 2024, the equivalent cost of the initial contract for 12 hours of instruction for Amelia Earhart would be $9,000.
On September 26, 2025, President Donald Trump ordered the declassification and release of all government records concerning Amelia Earhart.
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