Amelia Earhart
A fearless pilot whose vanished flight over the Pacific cemented her as an enduring symbol of adventure and unsolved mystery.
1897–1937 (age 40)·American aviation pioneer·Birthday: July 24·The Lost Generation
Biography
Amelia Earhart didn't just fly planes; she flew in the face of convention. After taking her first flight in 1920, she was hooked, saving money for lessons and buying her own bright yellow biplane. Her 1928 transatlantic flight as a passenger made her the first woman to cross the ocean by air, but she was dissatisfied with being just a 'cargo'. Four years later, she silenced critics by piloting a solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic, a feat that turned her into an international hero and a passionate advocate for commercial aviation and women's rights. Earhart used her fame to design clothing lines, write bestselling books, and champion the Equal Rights Amendment. Her 1937 attempt to circumnavigate the globe ended in radio silence near Howland Island, transforming her from a record-setter into a legend whose disappearance continues to captivate the world.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Amelia was born in 1897, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Amelia Was Born
The biggest hits of 1897
Amelia's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1897Born
President: William McKinley
1902Started school
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1910Became a teenager
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1913Could drive
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1915Could vote
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Turned 21
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1927Turned 30
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1937Turned 40
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
Key Achievements
- Became the first woman to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932.
- Set the women's altitude record in 1922 by flying to 14,000 feet.
- Was the first person to fly solo from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Oakland, California, in 1935.
- Co-founded The Ninety-Nines, an international organization for female pilots.
Did You Know?
She kept a scrapbook of newspaper clippings about successful women in male-dominated fields as a child.
Earhart was a close friend of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and even gave her flying lessons.
She was a visiting faculty member at Purdue University, advising on aeronautics and careers for women.
The U.S. government spent $4 million searching for her after her disappearance, the most costly such effort at the time.
“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.”
