Hey, History Fans!
Today is Amelia Earhart’s birthday; what better day to honor this adventurous American icon by discussing her life and the accomplishments that she made during a time when women typically weren’t as expressive and daring as she was.
For someone whose life is so well-documented, her death is shrouded in mystery. However, while the mystery of her disappearance is what gathers so much attention, her life was very interesting.
Amelia was born in 1897. She was full of life, a captivating person, and beautiful. She is portrayed in the bulk of her biographies as a tomboy in her younger days. Like usual children, Amelia and her younger sister, Pidge, would collect moths, toads, and katydids (also known as the Green Leaf Bug) as they would frequently go out on adventuresome hikes.
Amelia did a lot of the usual childhood things, but also did some things that most children wouldn’t dare…
Once when she was 7-years-old, Amelia (with the help of her uncle) made her own little home-style roller coaster. She fastened a ramp to the roof of her father’s toolshed and took it for a ride in a little wooden box. She crashed, broke the box, bruised her lip, and tore her dress. She didn’t once think to cry about it, though. Instead, she called to her sister, “Oh, Pidge. It’s just like flying!”
There was another side to Amelia than this spirited tomboy, though. She was a thinker as well as a writer. She enjoyed motivating people too. She once wrote, “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.”
With this rationale, Amelia became the first female aviator to cross the Atlantic Ocean alone. Three years later she crossed the Pacific on her own as well. Then she flew coast to coast across the United States. She helped to form the 99’s (an international organization of women pilots).
After all these accomplishments and many more, Amelia strived for one more. In 1937, she and her navigator tried to fly across the entire earth—heading east from Miami. She nearly made it the entire way around the planet, but disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean.
While myths and legends are still passed around today, the Crash and Sink Theory is the most widely accepted that the Electra (Amelia’s plane) ran out of fuel and crashed in the Pacific.
The world could learn a thing or two from Ms. Earhart, so don’t stop here. Look further into her life for your own fun and inspiration! And thanks for reading.
- John