On July 24th 1897, Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison, Kansas. Most of us know that Earhart went on to be the first woman to pilot a plane solo across the Atlantic Ocean, after which she was awarded the United States Distinguished Flying Cross. Amazingly, her accomplishments for the aviation industry did not end there - read below for five more fascinating facts about Amelia Earhart’s life.
- Earhart was a pioneer for women in aviation. She became the first vice president of the National Aeronautic Association, an association that organized records and aviation races. Here she continued to champion for women. In fact, she persuaded this organization to have separate records for races for wome
n, because at the time women did not have the same money or resources as male pilot, making it unfair to compete against them. - Her talents were not limited to flying. Earhart designed and modeled a “functional” clothing line for women, consisting of suits, pants, dresses, and hats.
- Earhart married George Putnam with the agreement that they could leave each other after a year if they were unhappy. The two remained together.
- In 1935, Earhart was welcomed as a visiting professor at Purdue University, paving the way for more women in higher education.
- Her disappearance while on a flight in 1937 has since spurred countless conspiracy theories - and the mystery of her disappearance unfortunately often overshadows her many accomplishments.
Read more about her many accomplishments in this article by the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum. The Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum is a must-see and included in our many different Washington, D.C. school trip itineraries.
