2. (1897-07-24)Jul y
B n
or 24, 1897
At chi son, Kansas,
U .S.
Jul y 2, 1937
(aged 39)
D sappear ed
i Paci f i c Ocean, en
r out e t o H l and
ow
I sl and
D ar ed dead i n
ecl
absent i a
St at us Januar y 5,
1939(1939-01-05)
(aged 41)
N i onal i t y
at Am i can
er
Fi r st w an t o
om
f l y sol o acr oss
K n f or
now t he At l ant i c
O cean and set t i ng
m any avi at i on
r ecor ds.
Spouse G ge P. Put nam
eor
Si gnat ur e

3. Amelia Mary Earhart
/ˈ ɛərhɑrt/ AIR-hart; July
, 1897 – disappeared
) was an American
aviation pioneer and
author. [1][N 1] Earhart was
the first aviatrix to fly solo
across the Atlantic Ocean.

4. She received the U.S. Distinguished
Flying Cross for this record.[4] She set
many other records,[2] wrote best-
selling books about her flying
experiences and was instrumental in
the formation of The Ninety-Nines, an
organization for female pilots.[5]
Earhart joined the faculty of the
Purdue University aviation department
in 1935 as a visiting faculty member to
counsel women on careers and help

5. During an attempt to make a
circumnavigation flight of the
globe in 1937 in a Purdue-funded
Lockheed Model 10 Electra,
Earhart disappeared over the
central Pacific Ocean near
Howland Island. Fascination with
her life, career and
disappearance continues to this
day.

6. Childhood
Amelia
Earhart as
a child

7. Am i a M y Ear har t , daught er of G m
el ar er an
Am i can Sam
er uel "Edw n" St ant on Ear har t (bor n
i
M ch 28, 1867) and Am i a "Am O i s Ear har t
ar el y" t
(1869–1962),[9] w bor n i n At chi son, Kansas, i n
as
t he hom of her m er nal gr andf at her , Al f r ed
e at
G deon O i s (1827–1912), a f or m f eder al
i t er
j udge, pr esi dent of t he At chi son Savi ngs Bank
and a l eadi ng ci t i zen i n t he t ow Am i a w
n. el as
t he second chi l d of t he m r i age, af t er an
ar
i nf ant st i l l bor n i n August 1896.[10] Al f r ed O i s
t
had not i ni t i al l y f avor ed t he m r i age and w
ar as
not sat i sf i ed w t h Edw n's pr ogr ess as a
i i
l aw .[11]
yer

8. Early flying experiences
At about t hat t i m w t h a young w an f r i end,
e, i om
Ear har t vi si t ed an ai r f ai r hel d i n conj unct i on
w t h t he C
i anadi an N i onal Exposi t i on i n Tor ont o.
at
O of t he hi ghl i ght s of t he day w a f l yi ng
ne as
exhi bi t i on put on by a W l d W I "ace."[33] The
or ar
pi l ot over head spot t ed Ear har t and her f r i end, w ho
w e w chi ng f r om an i sol at ed cl ear i ng and di ved
er at
at t hem "I am sur e he sai d t o hi m f , 'W ch m
. sel at e
make t hem scam ,'" she sai d. Ear har t st ood her
per
gr ound as t he ai r cr af t cam cl ose. "I di d not
e
under st and i t at t he t i m she sai d, "but I
e,"
bel i eve t hat l i t t l e r ed ai r pl ane sai d som hi ng t o
et
[34]

9. By 1919 Earhart prepared to enter Smith College but
changed her mind and enrolled at Columbia
University signing up for a course in medical studies
among other programs. She quit a year later to be
with her parents who had reunited in California.
L–R: Neta Snook and Amelia Earhart in
front of Earhart's Kinner Airster, c. 1921

10. transatlantic flight
Amelia Earhart being greeted by Mrs.
Foster Welch, Mayor of Southampton,
June 20, 1928
After Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across
the Atlantic in 1927, Amy Phipps Guest,
(1873–1959), expressed interest in being
the first woman to fly (or be flown) across
the Atlantic Ocean. After deciding the trip
was too perilous for her to undertake, she
offered to sponsor the project, suggesting
they find "another girl with the right
image." While at work one afternoon in
April 1928, Earhart got a phone call from
Capt. Hilton H. Railey, who asked her,
"Would you like to fly the Atlantic?"

11. 1932 transatlantic solo flight
Amelia Earhart Museum, Derry
Lockheed Vega
5B flown by
Amelia Earhart as
seen on display
at the National Air
and Space
Museum

12. Depar t ur e f r om Lae
O Jul y 2, 1937, m dni ght G T, Ear har t and N
n i M oonan
t ook of f f r om Lae i n t he heavi l y l oaded El ect r a.
Thei r i nt ended dest i nat i on w H l and I sl and, a
as ow
f l at sl i ver of l and 6,500 f t (2,000 m l ong and
)
1,600 f t (500 m w de, 10 f t (3 m hi gh and 2,556
) i )
m l es (4,113 km aw
i ) ay. Thei r l ast know posi t i on
n
r epor t w near t he N
as ukum anu I sl ands, about 800
m l es (1,300 km i nt o t he f l i ght . The U t ed St at es
i ) ni
C oast G d cut t er I t asca w on st at i on at
uar as
H l and, assi gned t o com uni cat e w t h Ear har t 's
ow m i
Lockheed El ect r a 10E and gui de t hem t o t he i sl and
once t hey ar r i ved i n t he vi ci ni t y.

13. Fi nal appr oach t o H l and I sl and
ow
Thr ough a ser i es of m sunder st andi ngs or
i
er r or s (t he det ai l s of w ch ar e st i l l
hi
cont r over si al ), t he f i nal appr oach t o
H l and I sl and usi ng r adi o navi gat i on w
ow as
not successf ul . Fr ed N oonan had ear l i er
w i t t en about pr obl em af f ect i ng t he
r s
accur acy of r adi o di r ect i on f i ndi ng i n
navi gat i on.[N 15] Som sour ces have not ed
e
Ear har t 's appar ent l ack of under st andi ng
of her Bendi x di r ect i on-f i ndi ng l oop
ant enna, w ch at t he t i m w ver y new
hi e as
t echnol ogy.

14. Anot her ci t ed cause of possi bl e
conf usi on w t hat t he U G
as SC
cut t er I t asca and Ear har t pl anned
t hei r com uni cat i on schedul e
m
usi ng t i m syst em set a hal f
e s
hour apar t (w t h Ear har t usi ng
i
G eenw ch C vi l Ti m (G T) and
r i i e C
t he I t asca under a N aval t i me
).
zone desi gnat i on syst em [105]

15. M i on pi ct ur e evi dence f r om Lae suggest s
ot
t hat an ant enna m ount ed under neat h t he
f usel age m have been t or n of f f r om t he
ay
f uel -heavy El ect r a dur i ng t axi or t akeof f
f r om Lae's t ur f r unw ay, t hough no ant enna was
r epor t ed f ound at Lae. D D i ggi ns, i n hi s
on w
bi ogr aphy of Paul M z (w assi st ed
ant ho
Ear har t and N oonan i n t hei r f l i ght
pl anni ng), not ed t hat t he avi at or s had cut
of f t hei r l ong-w r e ant enna, due t o t he
i
annoyance of havi ng t o cr ank i t back i nt o
t he ai r cr af t af t er each use.

16. Radio signals
Earhart in the Electra cockpit, c. 1936
During Earhart and Noonan's approach
to Howland Island the Itasca received
strong and clear voice transmissions
from Earhart identifying as KHAQQ but
she apparently was unable to hear voice
transmissions from the ship. At 7:42 am
on July 2, Earhart radioed "We must be
on you, but cannot see you—but gas is
running low. Have been unable to reach
you by radio.

17. ar e f l yi ng at 1,000 f eet ." H 7:58 am
er
t r ansm ssi on sai d she coul dn't hear t he
i
I t asca and asked t hem t o send voi ce si gnal s
so she coul d t r y t o t ake a r adi o bear i ng
(t hi s t r ansm ssi on w r epor t ed by t he
i as
I t asca as t he l oudest possi bl e
si gnal , i ndi cat i ng Ear har t and Noonan w e
er
i n t he i m edi at e ar ea). They coul dn't send
m
voi ce at t he f r equency she asked f or , so
M se code si gnal s w e sent i nst ead.
or er
Ear har t acknow edged r ecei vi ng t hese but
l
sai d she w unabl e t o det er m ne t hei r
as i

18. I n her l ast know t r ansm ssi on at
n i
8:43 am Ear har t br oadcast "W ar e
e
on t he l i ne 157 337. W w l l
e i
r epeat t hi s m essage. W w l l
e i
r epeat t hi s on 6210 ki l ocycl es.
W t ." H ever , a f ew m ent s
ai ow om
l at er she w back on t he sam
as e
f r equency (3105 kH w t h a
z) i
t r ansm ssi on w ch w l ogged as
i hi as
a "quest i onabl e": "W ar e r unni ng
e
[107]

19. Legacy
Ear har t w a w del y know i nt er nat i onal
as i n
cel ebr i t y dur i ng her l i f et i m H shyl y
e. er
char i sm i c appeal , i ndependence, per si st ence,
at
cool ness under pr essur e, cour age and goal -
or i ent ed car eer al ong w t h t he ci r cum ances of
i st
her di sappear ance at a com at i vel y ear l y age
par
have dr i ven her l ast i ng f am i n popul ar
e
cul t ur e. H undr eds of ar t i cl es and scor es of
books have been w i t t en about her l i f e w ch i s
r hi
of t en ci t ed as a m i vat i onal t al e, especi al l y
ot
f or gi r l s. Ear har t i s gener al l y r egar ded as a
[168]

20. Ear har t 's accom i shm s i n
pl ent
avi at i on i nspi r ed a gener at i on of
f em e avi at or s, i ncl udi ng t he m e
al or
t han 1,000 w en pi l ot s of t he
om
W en Ai r f or ce Ser vi ce Pi l ot s
om
(W ASP) w f er r i ed m l i t ar y
ho i
ai r cr af t , t ow gl i der s, f l ew t ar get
ed
pr act i ce ai r cr af t , and ser ved as
t r anspor t pi l ot s dur i ng W l d W
or ar
[169][170]

21. Recor ds and achi evem s
ent
W an's w l d al t i t ude r ecor d: 14,000 f t
om or
(1922)
Fi r st w an t o f l y t he At l ant i c (1928)
om
Speed r ecor ds f or 100 km (and w t h 500 l b
i
(230 kg) car go) (1931)
Fi r st w an t o f l y an aut ogyr o (1931)
om
Al t i t ude r ecor d f or aut ogyr os: 15,000 f t
(1931)
.S.
Fi r st per son t o cr oss t he U i n an aut ogyr o
(1932)

22. Fi r st per son t o f l y t he At l ant i c t w ce (1932)
i
Fi r st w an t o r ecei ve t he D st i ngui shed Fl yi ng C oss
om i r
(1932)
Fi r st w an t o f l y nonst op, coast -t o-coast acr oss t he U
om .S.
(1933)
W an's speed t r anscont i nent al r ecor d (1933)
om
Fi r st per son t o f l y sol o bet ween Honol ul u, H ai i and
aw
O and, C i f or ni a (1935)
akl al
Fi r st per son t o f l y sol o f r om Los Angel es, C i f or ni a t o
al
M co C t y, M co (1935)
exi i exi
Fi r st per son t o f l y sol o nonst op f r om M co C t y,
exi i
M co t o N ar k, N Jer sey (1935)
exi ew ew
Speed r ecor d f or east -t o-w est f l i ght f r om O and,
akl
C i f or ni a t o H
al onol ul u, H ai i (1937)[173
aw

23. Books by Earhart
•20 Hrs., 40 Min. (1928) was a journal of her
experiences as the first woman passenger on a
transatlantic flight.
•The Fun of It (1932) was a memoir of her flying
experiences and an essay on women in aviation.
•Last Flight (1937) featured the periodic journal
entries she sent back to the United States during her
world flight attempt, published in newspapers in the
weeks prior to her final departure from New Guinea.
Compiled by her husband GP Putnam after she
disappeared over the Pacific, many historians
consider this book to be only partially Earhart's
original work.