Person of the Week April 13, 2020: Amelia Earhart

 Amelia Earhart was an American Aviator. Earhart was born on 7.24.1897 in Atchison, Kansas.  She was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic ocean, and the first person to fly over the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. She disappeared in 1937 while circumnavigating the globe from the equator (biography.com). She was officially pronounced dead in 1939.

 Childhood

Most of Earhart’s childhood was spent at her grandparents’ house. Her father, Edwin Earhart was an alcoholic. Edwin was constantly trying to find a job that would bring their family a strong financial structure. At Amelia’s grandparents’ house, she and her sister would mostly go on long adventures outside and just explore nature.

In 1915, Amelia was sent to live in Chicago with her sister after their mom split up with their dad. She went to Hyde Park High School and was prominent in chemistry.

After graduation Earhart went on a vacation to Toronto, Canada to see her sister. While there, she discovered her passion and admiration for pilots after volunteering for the red cross.

Aviation Career

Earhart went to a Long Beach airshow in 1920. When she landed she knew that she was going to and needed to learn how to fly. She saved up enough money from working multiple jobs and eventually got flying lessons. She even cut her hair and slept in her new leather jacket to look like a professional.

Eventually, Amelia’s funds and money had run out so she had to stop flying and get a job.

Over time she gradually got more and more interested in flying again. In 1928 she flew across the Atlantic but only as a passenger. After the flight, she felt more empowered to fly a plane by herself.

In 1932 Earhart finally did what she aspired to do. She became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic solo.

Throughout the years Earhart continued to complete incredible feats (back when commercial air travel wasn’t common) like flying from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California and from Mexico City to New York. After all of these adventures, Earhart was determined to circumnavigate the globe across the equator. Unfortunately, this resulted in the disappearance of her and the navigator, Fred Noonan in 1937. Amelia was officially declared dead in 1939.

 Today, Amelia is a great symbol of equality for men and women. She proved that regardless of your gender or what people say you can or can’t do, you can do anything. Anything you put your mind to.

Works Cited

Biography.com, Editors. “Amelia Earhart.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 28 Feb. 2020, www.biography.com/explorer/amelia-earhart.