Amelia Earhart Facts

Amelia Earhart facts are rather interesting. Amelia Earhart was a true pioneer who set records and blazed trails in the field of aviation. Even those familiar with Earhart may not be aware of some of these Amelia Earhart facts.  

1. Amelia Earhart was born in 1897. Amelia Mary Earhart was born on July 24, 1897 in the city of Atchison in northeast Kansas. The city celebrates the Amelia Earhart festival in honor of the famous famous aviatrix. The festival is held annually in July.

2. Amelia Earhart saw her first plane as a ten year old child. Surprisingly, the young Earhart was not impressed when she saw the plane at the state fair. The aircraft was rather old and antiquated. Ten years later, Amelia Earhart attended a stunt-flying show and left the performance with her interest piqued.

3. Amelia Earhart worked as a nurse's aid and social worker. She graduated from Hyde Park High School in 1915 and went on to attend finishing school in Philadelphia. She initially worked as a nurse's aid during World War I and later became a social worker.

4. Amelia Earhart took her first flying lesson in 1921. She took her first flying lesson on January 3, 1921. She enjoyed it so much she wanted a plane of her own. Six months later, Earhart saved enough money to purchase her own aircraft.

5. Amelia Earhart's first plane was a yellow bi-plane. With her hard-earned money, Earhart bought a second-hand Kinner Airster. It was a bright yellow, two-seater biplane which she named “Canary.” She used this plane to set her first ever women's record by reaching an altitude of 14,000 feet.

6. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly the Atlantic. Joined by two other pilots, Earhart made the trip on June 17, 1928. Flying a Fokker F7, her team left Newfoundland and arrived in Wales 21 hours later. When they returned to the US, the group was greeted with a massive parade and attended a reception held by President Calvin Coolidge at the White House.

7. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to do a solo flight across the Atlantic. Aside from being the first woman to make the trip alone, she was also credited with being the second person to complete the crossing. She flew a Fokker F7 and made the trip in less than a day.

8. Amelia Earhart held the autogyro record for a few years. While most of Earhart's records were made in airplanes, she also held an autogyro record for some time. She took a Pitcairn PCA-2 to an altitude of 18,415 feet in 1931. Her record was broken in 1932.

9. Amelia Earhart became the first person to fly across the Pacific. She flew from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California in 1935. She flew a total of 2,408 miles. As the flight was rather chilly, Earhart kept herself warm with a cup of hot chocolate.

10. Amelia Earhart was declared dead in absentia on January 5, 1939. She wanted to be the first woman to fly around the globe. Contact was lost during her flight and a massive air and sea search was conducted soon after. The search was eventually called off and Earhart was never found.