Amelia Earhart

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Atchison: childhood home of Amelia Earhart

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Amelia Earhart summary

Amelia Earhart

Q: What did Amelia Earhart accomplish?

Amelia Earhart was one of the world’s most celebrated aviators and was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean (1932). In addition to her piloting feats, Earhart was known for encouraging women to reject constrictive social norms and to pursue various opportunities, especially in the field of aviation.

Q: What is Amelia Earhart remembered for?

Amelia Earhart was famous during her life for her numerous aviation records, most notably being the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean (1932). The mysterious disappearance of Earhart and her copilot in the Pacific Ocean during their attempt to fly around the world (1937) captured the public’s imagination and generated numerous theories.

Q: What were Amelia Earhart’s jobs?

Before she became famous, Amelia Earhart was a nurse’s aid tending to injured World War I soldiers in Toronto and was a social worker at a settlement house in Boston . When she became a celebrity for her aviation feats, she began delivering lectures and writing books about her flights.

American aviator

Also known as: Amelia Mary Earhart

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 7, 2024 • Article History

Quick Facts

In full:: Amelia Mary Earhart

Born:: July 24, 1897, Atchison, Kansas, U.S.

Disappeared:: July 2, 1937, near Howland Island, central Pacific Ocean

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What did Amelia Earhart accomplish?

What is Amelia Earhart remembered for?

What were Amelia Earhart’s jobs?

News •

Researchers Thought They Found Amelia Earhart's Missing Plane. It Turned Out to Be a Plane-Shaped Pile of Rocks • Dec. 6, 2024, 10:00 AM ET (Smithsonian Magazine)

Image believed to show Amelia Earhart's plane was rock formation, not crash site, company says • Nov. 29, 2024, 3:03 AM ET (NBC)

Sonar image was not Amelia Earhart's long-lost plane, but exploration team says search continues: "The plot thickens" • Nov. 26, 2024, 9:35 PM ET (CBS)

Sonar image was not Amelia Earhart's plane, but deep-sea explorers say search continues: "The plot thickens" • Nov. 26, 2024, 5:05 AM ET (CBS)

Amelia Earhart (born July 24, 1897, Atchison, Kansas, U.S.—disappeared July 2, 1937, near Howland Island, central Pacific Ocean) was an American aviator, one of the world’s most celebrated, who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Her disappearance during a flight around the world in 1937 became an enduring mystery, fueling much speculation. Earhart’s father was a railroad lawyer, and her mother came from an affluent family. While still a child, Earhart displayed an adventurous and independent nature for which she would later become known. After the death of her grandparents, the family struggled financially amid ...(100 of 966 words)

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