Amelia Earhart was born July 24, 1897. She is well known as being a trailblazing female pilot who had many accomplishments and broken records to her name.
In 1937, Earhart was aiming to make a successful flight around the globe, which at the time would’ve taken about 40 days to complete. She decided to fly in a Lockheed Electra plane, which provided more fuel than the typical plane. On May 21, 1937 Earhart set off!
On July 2, 1937, Earhart’s plane endured some strong headwind speeds that no one had anticipated. She had planned to land on Howland Island in order to be able to refuel the airplane, In fact, she had gotten so close to the island that the U.S Coast Guard waiting on the island could hear her transmission as she approached. Unfortunately, it was dark and cloudy on the island which made it harder for both parties to recognize one another. In one of her last plane messages, she mentioned that her gas was running low. It was noted by the plane operators that her voice sounded frantic. This was the last time she was heard from.
For the next few weeks, the Coast Guard searched long and hard for Earhart’s missing airplane, looking everywhere they believed she could have potentially crashed. The search totaled $4 million, becoming the most expensive U.S air and land search at the time. Amelia nor her plane were ever found and on July 19, 1937 the search effort was officially called off. Earhart’s stepson, GP Putnam, conducted a private investigation into her disappearance after the search was called off but nothing was found. She was legally declared dead on January 5, 1939.
There are many theories surrounding Earhart’s death as you may imagine. The most logical one is that Earhart’s plane crashed into the ocean. A more interesting theory is that Earhart made it to Nikumaroro Island and had actually crashed there. When the U.S Navy searched this island, they found signs that it was recently inhabited. This theory became more popular in 1940 when a human skull and skeleton was found under a tree on the island. However when the bones were sent off to be tested, it was stated they belonged to a male.
Although the fate of Amelia Earhart may never be known, she still carries her legacy as the first female pilot to fly alone across the Atlantic.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Earhart