RISMEDIA, May 21, 2007-On this day in 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Due to bad weather, she landed in a pasture in Derry, Northern Ireland. Amelia Mary Earhart (July 24, 1897 – missing July 2, 1937, declared deceased January 5, 1939) was a noted American aviation pioneer and women’s rights advocate.
Earhart’s accomplishment of flying across the Atlantic, lead her to be the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross from Congress. She is famous for setting other records, in addition to writing best-selling books about her flying experiences and being instrumental in the formation of The Ninety-Nines, a women’s pilots’ organization.
Earhart disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean during an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight in 1937. To this day, many possible scenarios are questioned.
Some of her legacy includes:
– Until she was 12, Amelia and her sister received a form of home-schooling from her mother and a governess
– Earhart had her first flying lessons, beginning on January 3,1921, at Kinner Field near Long Beach
– According to the Boston Globe, she was “one of the best women pilots in the United States”, although this characterization has been disputed by aviation experts and experienced pilots in the decades since
– On January 11,1935, Earhart became the first person to fly solo from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California
– Amelia Earhart was a widely-known international celebrity during her lifetime. Her shyly charismatic appeal, independence, persistence, coolness under pressure, courage and goal-oriented career along with the circumstances of her disappearance at a young age have driven her lasting fame
– The “Earhart Tree” at the State Capital grounds, Hawaii was planted by Amelia Earhart in 1935.
– The Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarships (established in 1939 by The Ninety-Nines), provides scholarships to women for advanced pilot certificates and ratings, jet type ratings, college degrees and technical training.
– Amelia Earhart was a successful and heavily promoted writer who served as aviation editor for Cosmopolitan magazine from 1928 to 1930
– Rather than simply endorsing products, Amelia actively became involved in the promotions, especially in women’s fashions.
– The luggage line that she promoted (marketed as Modernaire Earhart Luggage) bore her unmistakable stamp. She ensured that the luggage met the demands of air travel; it is still being produced today.
For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Earhart.
