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Amelia Earhart

Origin: Atchinson, Kansas
(July 24, 1897 - July 2, 1937, lost)

Heroic Values: Achievement, Courage, Perseverance, Vision

Background

Amelia Earhart spent her youth as a tomboy, spending time in many different places - expecially after the breakup of her parents. She saw her first plane at age 10, but was unimpressed. However, in 1920 she was given a ride that would change her life. Soon after she had achieved her flying license and bought a plane - named "Canary". With that plane she broke the record for altitude by a woman in 1922 - 14,000 feet.

In 1928 Earhart received a phone call asking is she'd like to fly across the Atlantic. She was part of a four person crew and she piloted the plane for some time on the journey. She met her future husband, George Putnam, on the flight and she began a life of long journeys. In 1932 she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, landing accidentally in Londonderry, Northern Ireland instead of Paris. She broke a series of records over the following years until she made her first attempt to fly around the world.

Earhart was given a plane by Purdue University for the trip. Her first attempt failed as there were a series of problems with the plane in Hawaii. The second trip began only a few months later after the plane had been repaired. Three quarters of the trip had been completed before Earhart took off from Lae, New Guinea and was never seen again as the plane was lost somewhere around Howland Island. Many theories surround her disappearance, but her status as hero is undisputed.

Sources

Wikipedia
The online encyclopedia

Ameliaearhart.com
Amelia's home on the web

The Earhart Project
Earhart resources