Amelia Earhart Facts for Kids

A Picture of Amelia Earhart
  • Name: Amelia Earhart
  • Profession: Aviation Pioneer and Author
  • Born: July 24th, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas United States
  • Died: July 2th, 1937 (Disappearance date)
  • Resting Place: Unknown / Disappeared
  • Legacy: First female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean

21 Amelia Earhart Facts for Kids

  1. Amelia Earhart was an American aviator and author.
  2. Amelia Earhart is most famous for being the first female pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean by herself.
  3. Amelia Earhart was born on July 24th, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas, United States.
  4. Amelia Earhart’s full birthname was Amelia Mary Earhart. She was named after two of her grandmothers.
  5. Amelia Earhart was the daughter of Samuel S. Earhart and Amelia Earhart.
  6. Amelia Earhart married George P. Putnam on February 17th, 1931.
  7. Amelia and George never had any children, but George had two boys from his previous marriage.
  8. Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean at the age of 39 on July 2nd, 1937. At the request of her husband she was officially declared dead on January 5th, 1939.
  9. In 1908, Earhart sees an airplane in person for the first time at the Iowa State Fair.
  10. In 1916, Earhart graduates from Hyde Park High School in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
  11. In 1920, pilot Frank Hawk takes Earhart on her first ride in an airplane. Based on this single experience Earhart knew she wanted to be a pilot.
  12. In 1921, Earhart began flying lessons with female aviator Mary Anita “Neta” Snook. In this same year she bought her first airplane, a used Kinner Airster biplane. She called her first airplane “The Canary” because of its bright yellow color.
  13. On October 22nd, 1922 Earhart flew her biplane to 14,000 feet and set a world record for a female pilot.
  14. On May 15th, 1923 Earhart earned her international pilot’s license (#6017) from the FAI.
  15. On January 11th, 1935, Earhart becomes the first person to successfully complete a solo flight over the Pacific Ocean from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California.
  16. In May 1932, Earhart completed her solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. She flew out of Newfoundland, Canada on May 20th and landed in Northern Ireland, Europe on May 21st. She became the first woman to complete a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
  17. In 1932, Earhart is awarded the Distinguished Fly Cross by an act of U.S. Congress.
  18. In July 1936, Earhart gets financing from Purdue University to build a new airplane. The money is used to develop the Lockhead Electra 10E, a twin-engine, all-metal monoplane airliner.
  19. On June 1st, 1937 Earhart and her flying partner Fred Noonan take off from Miami Florida. Their goal is to complete a trip around the in their Lockheed Model 10 Electra airliner.
  20. On June 2nd, 1937 Earhart and Noonan have completed more than 22,000 miles of their flight around the world. However, they would end up getting lost and losing communication. Ultimately, they both disappear and to this day neither their plane nor remains have been found.
  21. There are several theories on what happened to Earhart and Noonan. The most popular theory is they ran out of fuel and had to ditch their plane in the Pacific Ocean. Other believe they landed on an island and were stranded there. Some people believe they may have been captured by Japanese forces in the Pacific Ocean.

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