In the early days of aviation, one woman flew higher than all the rest: Amelia Earhart, who set (and broke) a dozen records for speed and distance while blazing a trail for female pilots in the male-dominated field. When she became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928, she was not content with having been merely a passenger—and four years later, she pulled off her own solo trans-Atlantic journey.As she set her sights higher, Amelia eyed her next historic achievement, a flight around the world, in 1937. With millions following along every step of the way in the newspapers, the female aviator (and her navigator, Fred Noonan) was within reach of her goal when her plane vanished on July 2, 1937, over the vast Pacific Ocean.In these pages, Amelia’s aviation love story is told, from the beginning—as an adventurous girl who built a roller coaster when she was 7—to a tragic end, just weeks before her 40th birthday. She packed more ambition and accomplishment into her years than most see in a lifetime, also authoring several books, fighting for women’s rights and even designing her own fashion line sold at stores like Macy’s.Today, almost 90 years later, the mystery of Amelia’s last flight remains: What really happened the day her plane disappeared? Take a look back at the massive search by air and sea, and the most likely scenario—plus new developments in the case. She knew there were hazards, but she had to find out for herself rather than always wonder. “I want to do it because I want to do it,” Amelia explained in a letter to her concerned husband, George Putnam. “Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.”
FIRST LADY OF FLIGHT • THE AVIATION PIONEER DISAPPEARED 87 YEARS AGO AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO BECOME THE FIRST WOMAN TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE THE WORLD.
‘I KNEW I HAD TO FLY’ • AMELIA EARHART’S CHILDHOOD SENSE OF ADVENTURE MATERIALIZED INTO A PASSION FOR FLIGHT: WHEN SHE WAS 23, THE COURSE OF HER LIFE CHANGED BECAUSE OF A 10-MINUTE AIRPLANE RIDE.
The Spanish Flu Had a Lifelong Effect • FOR THE TWO DECADES AFTER SHE WORKED AS A NURSE, THE PILOT BATTLED CHRONIC SINUSITIS.
HER FIRST PLANE • THE AVIATOR DUBBED THE YELLOW KINNER AIRSTER THE CANARY.
TEMPORARILY GROUNDED • EVEN WHEN SHE HAD TO SELL HER PLANE AND TAKE A JOB AS A SOCIAL WORKER, SHE REMAINED DEDICATED TO AVIATION, INVESTING IN A BOSTON AIRPORT AND TEACHING WOMEN HOW TO FLY.
LADY LINDY • IN 1928, AMELIA EARHART BECAME THE FIRST WOMAN TO FLY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AS A PASSENGER—A DISTINCTION THAT TURNED HER INTO AN OVERNIGHT CELEBRITY.
Hero’s Welcome • UPON HER RETURN TO THE U.S., SHE WAS CELEBRATED FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA.
THE EARHART BRAND • THE AVIATOR LENT HER SUDDENLY FAMOUS NAME TO PROMOTE LUCKY BRAND CIGARETTES, MALTED MILK, TOMATO JUICE AND HER OWN LINE OF LUGGAGE.
AIR TRAVEL FOR ALL • THE TRAILBLAZER WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL AIRLINE, AS WELL AS A REGIONAL SHUTTLE IN THE NORTHEAST.
QUEEN OF THE AIR • THE ICON DEDICATED YEARS TO ADVOCATING FOR FEMALE PILOTS TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE IN THE MALE-DOMINATED FIELD OF AVIATION.
First Lady Friendship • SHE INSPIRED ELEANOR ROOSEVELT TO GET HER OWN STUDENT PERMIT TO FLY.
THE LEGEND’S WINGWOMEN • THE NINETY-NINES IS AN ORGANIZATION OF FEMALE PILOTS.
Working Relationship MR. EARHART • IN 1931, SHE MARRIED GEORGE PUTNAM, YET HE TOOK THE TITLE OF “DUTIFUL WIFE.”
TRAVELING SOLO • IN 1932, AMELIA EARHART BECAME THE FIRST WOMAN TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC BY HERSELF—AND THE FIRST PERSON SINCE CHARLES LINDBERGH.
International Tour of Celebration • THE PILOT’S ACHIEVEMENT WAS LAUDED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC.
THE LANDING SITE TODAY • HER HEROIC AND HISTORIC FLIGHT IS REMEMBERED THROUGHOUT...