Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: History, World News, Science
James Moorhouse
It is somewhat sad that Amelia Earhart has become known throughout history because of her infamous death, rather than her incredible life.
But as scientists claim that her near 90-year-old mystery now may have been solved, it is important to reflect on some of the things she achieved in her 40 years on Earth.
Born in Atchison, Kansas, US in 1897 to Edwin and Amy Earhart, Amelia showed off her adventurous side from a young age, solo climbing Colorado mountain.
After allegedly being denied a college education by her traditional partner, Amelia sought freedom of her own, but first worked as a nurse’s aide in a Canadian military hospital during World War I, then as a social worker in 1925.
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She had grown up close to where the where the Wright Brothers first took flight in 1903 and had long been enamoured with the world of aviation, becoming just the 16th woman in history to earn her pilot's license in 1923.
Her life changed in 1928 when she accompanied Wilmer Stultz and copilot Louis Gordon across the Atlantic Ocean by plane, becoming the first woman in history to do so.
Following her achievement of crossing the Atlantic Ocean, Amelia used her new-found fame to further women's opportunities in the field and also finance more flights of her own, having only been able to purchase her own plane after picking up odd jobs.
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She wrote about her experiences in national publications and became a fashion pioneer thanks to her iconic leather flying helmet.
In 1932, she became the first woman pilot to complete a nonstop flight solo across the Atlantic Ocean, emulating the success of fellow household name Charles Lindbergh.
She also became the first person to solo flight across the Pacific Ocean, and in 1937, she set off on the journey that tragically would define her life as she aimed to become the first woman to fly around the world.
After jetting off in 1937, fans around the world tracked her journey but as she and her navigator Fred Noonan approached the finish line, they disappeared and were never seen again.
Scientists have long explored the areas surrounding New Guinea, where Amelia and Fred's last stop was, but have never been able to find conclusive proof of her body or plane.
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However, researchers announced on 2 July that there was a fresh expedition launched to find Earhart’s plane, after a satellite photo showed what could be Earhart’s plane peeking through the sand on the island of Nikumaroro in Kiribati, nearly 1,000 miles from Fiji.
Richard Pettigrew, executive director of the Archaeological Legacy Institute in Oregon, told the Daily Mail: “What we have here is maybe the greatest opportunity ever to finally close the case.
“With such a great amount of very strong evidence, we feel we have no choice but to move forward and hopefully return with proof.”
However, there have been several reported breakthroughs in the past and given this mystery is nearly 90 years old now, it may prove impossible to ever know for sure what happened to the famous pilot.