Surprising Amelia Earhart Facts That You Won't Believe

Amelia Mary Earhart was one of the most famous female pilots of all time and an author from the United States.

She achieved the unthinkable feat of crossing the Atlantic Ocean which was a first for a woman pilot at that time. Amelia Earhart's death was very tragic and mysterious.

Earhart was born in Kansas, the United States on 24 July 1897. Samuel Edwin Stanton Earhart and Amelia Earhart were her parents. She had a sister also. Along with her sister Muriel, Amelia was homeschooled until she was 12 years old in Atchison, Kansas, before attending a public school in Des Moines. She graduated from Chicago High School and went on to Columbia University in New York City to pursue a pre-medical degree. She left after a year and moved to California. Earhart attended her first flying exhibition in 1918 and she began taking flying lessons after her first plane journey in 1920. Her first plane, the Kinner Airster, was bought in 1921. She received her pilot's license in 1923. In 1931, she married George P. Putnam but never had any kids. Earlier, she was also known as Lady Lindy based on her similarities to Charles Lindbergh.

Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan took a Lockheed Electra flight in 1937. It was a plane with two engines. They set out on their journey on 1 June. They traveled for almost 35,000 km (21,875 mi) until 29 June. They took their nonstop flight on 2 July towards Howland Island, a small island off the coast of the United States. It was around 4,200 km (2625 mi) from where they started. Amelia later radioed the Itasca, a US Coast Guard ship, about the fuel running out. She said on the last radio transmission that they were flying south and north. After that, no communication could be made. A search operation was launched, but it was called off on 19 July without any signs of the wreck of the red airplane Amelia Earhart had set off in. On 5 January 1939, she was certified dead.

After reading about the first woman or first person to fly solo from LA to Mexico City, be sure to also check out Albert Einstein facts and Alexander Graham Bell facts.

What were Amelia Earhart’s last words?

Amelia Earhart, a well-known American female pilot, disappeared on 2 July 1937. She established a benchmark for women pilots when she flew over the Atlantic Ocean in her aircraft in 1928, the first woman to do so.

Many searches were carried out to locate her and her navigator, Fred Noonan. However, they were never discovered. On 5 January 1939, she was certified dead. Her last words were 'We are on line 157-337 flying north and south'.

Fred Noonan and Amelia started their journey together on 1 June, 1937. By 29 June, they had traveled nearly 35,000 km (21,875 mi). They flew towards Howland Island on 2 July. She needed help landing on this little island, so she sent a message to Itasca, the United States Coast Guard. They began to run out of petrol later in their voyage. She got in touch with Itasca for the same reason. In her last message, she said 'We are on line 157-337 flying north and south'. After that, the radio connection was lost. The plane was believed to be roughly 160 km (100 mi) away from Howland Island. A search operation was started to discover them, and some believed they may have made an emergency landing on Gardner Island, so this area was searched on 9 July. They called off the operation two weeks later, and Amelia and Fred were declared 'lost at sea.' Amelia was declared dead two years later. As a result, no one knows what her true final words were.

Where was Amelia Earhart last seen?

Amelia Earhart was last spotted on 2 July 1937, in Lae, New Guinea, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. This was just before her final journey to Howland Island. She went on a round-the-world journey in 1937, stopping in Hawaii, Miami, New Guinea, and other locations. However, it was short-lived owing to her disappearance on the flight to Howland Island. As well as Amelia, her navigator, Fred Noonan, was never found.

Amelia Earhart set to go on a round-the-world trip in 1937. In March, she traveled to Hawaii, and in June, she flew to Miami. After 21 days, they landed in New Guinea, which is an island in the Pacific Ocean. Fred Noonan, her navigator, accompanied her on her solo flight. They set out on their journey to Howland Island on 2 July. However, Earhart’s plane ran out of fuel and vanished along the journey. There was no way to communicate with the US Coast Guard through radio. Various searches were carried out, but no one was able to locate Amelia Earhart or Fred Noonan. They were both spotted at Lae, New Guinea, on the morning of 2 July 1937, before embarking on their voyage to Howland Island. Sid Marshall, a Guinea Airways employee, even captured motion-picture footage of Earhart and Noonan. Nobody ever saw her again, living or dead.

How old was Amelia Earhart when she crashed?

Amelia Earhart, a legendary American aviator, and her navigator, Fred Noonan, went missing on 2 July 1937 on their way to Howland Island. When she vanished, she was 39 years old. She was never located, despite several search efforts. She was formally ruled dead nearly a year and a half after her disappearance.

Amelia was born in Kansas on 24 July 1937. Amelia received much of her education at home as she was homeschooled until the age of 12. She eventually relocated to Des Moines, Iowa. She had had a great desire to fly solo since she was a child. She attended Columbia University in New York City to pursue a premedical degree. She did, however, leave after a year. She began flying training in 1920 and received her pilot's license two years later, in 1923. Her first plane, the Kinner Airster, was purchased in 1921. She later became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She flew alone to places such as New York, Culmore, Derry, Honolulu, Hawaii, Oakland, and California.

On 1 June 1937, Earhart began her journey for Miami, Florida, and then for Lae, New Guinea. Fred Noonan, her navigator, accompanied her on this trip. They flew off from Lae on the morning of 2 July. Howland Island was their next destination. However, their fuel ran out before they could reach the small island, so they contacted Itasca, the US Coast Guard. They soon lost contact with the radio and disappeared. Many search parties were formed, but they were unable to locate them. They were declared 'disappeared at sea'. At the time, Amelia Earhart was 39 years old. After 1 and a half years since her disappearance, she was officially declared dead.

Why is Amelia Earhart famous?

Amelia Earhart is regarded as a legendary female pilot. She made history as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She is also well-known for her numerous flying achievements. She encouraged a number of women to follow their ambitions of becoming pilots.

She was also the author of two books that were based on her flying adventures. Her views on women's issues and marriage made her well-known. She began her aviation career in 1923. Her final flight was from New Guinea to Howland Island in 1937. Her untimely disappearance on the way to Howland Island in 1937 sealed her legacy.

Amelia Earhart is one of history's most famous female pilots. This is because of her mysterious disappearance in 1937, her transatlantic flight, and her incredible flying career. She also became the National Aeronautic Association's first female vice president. Throughout her career, she set several flying records. Some of them are mentioned below:

She was the first woman who took her aircraft to 14,000 ft (4267m) height, which she achieved in 1922.

She became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928.

She set the maximum speed record for a female pilot in 1929 and 1930.

She was the first woman to fly an autogiro, reaching a height of 18,415 feet in 1931.

She was the first woman who took the risk of flying solo across the Atlantic back in 1932 and succeeded in it.

She became the first solo female pilot to fly nonstop across the United States in 1932.

She became the first solo female pilot to fly from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Oakland, California in 1935.

In the same year, while flying between Mexico City and Washington, D.C., she broke a new world record for maximum speed.

She became the first person to fly solo from Mexico City to Newark, New Jersey in 1935.

On Flying Magazine's list of '51 Heroes of Aviation,' she was rated 9th. Considering what she achieved, she was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame and the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1968 and 1973 respectively. From 1928 through 1930, Earhart served as an aviation editor for Cosmopolitan Magazine. She described her career as a pilot in two books. '20 Hrs., 40 Min.' (1928) and 'The Fun of It' (1929) were the books she wrote. She kept a journal and wrote letters on her last journey. She returned them to her husband, George P. Putnam, in the United States. After she disappeared, they were published in the book 'Last Flight.' She was honored through various means. A few of them are mentioned below:

The Amelia Earhart Centre and Wildlife Sanctuary.

Earhart Tree on the Banyan Drive in Hilo.

Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship Awards.

Earhart Light.

The Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarships.

Amelia Earhart Field.

Amelia Earhart Airport.

Amelia Earhart Residence Hall.

Amelia Earhart Commemorative Stamp.

The Civil Air Patrol Amelia Earhart Award.

North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library.

Amelia Earhart Playhouse at Wiesbaden Army Airfield.

Amelia Earhart  Road in Oklahoma City.

Earhart Road in Oakland, California.

Amelia Earhart Hotel in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Amelia Earhart Dam.

Amelia Earhart General Aviation Terminal.

Amelia Earhart Bridge in Kansas.

Amelia Earhart Earthwork in Atchison, Kansas.

Amelia Earhart Pioneering Achievement Award, Kansas.

Amelia Earhart Festival, held in Kansas.

The Amelia Earhart Birthplace in Kansas.

Earhart Foundation.

3895 Earhart (minor planet).

UCI Irvine Amelia Earhart Award and many more.

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