Hyderabad: Amelia Earhart Day is celebrated annually on July 24 to commemorate the birthday of the American aviator. The special day is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of the great American aviator.
Amelia Earhart is among the most renowned American aviators in history. She achieved numerous milestone records as an aviator, including being the second individual to complete a solo transatlantic flight and the initial female pilot to accomplish a solo non-stop transcontinental journey, among other achievements. Her aviation achievements catapulted her into global recognition, leading her to give numerous lectures, publish numerous books, and support issues she was passionate about.
History
There is no specific data shown when the first day was actually celebrated but in honor of the famous aviation pioneer, Amelia Earhart, July 24 was named national Amelia Earhart day.
Amelia Earhart, an American pilot, made history by becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932. She was born in Kansas and grew up there. After high school in 1916, Earhart was eager to enter a field dominated by men. She kept a scrapbook of successful women in various fields, including law and engineering.
During the First World War and the Spanish flu pandemic, Earhart worked at Spadina Military Hospital in Toronto, Canada, with the Voluntary Aid Department. It was there that she developed an interest in flying after visiting the Canadian National Exhibition.
In 1920, Earhart and her father visited Daugherty Field in Long Beach, where she flew with air racer Frank Hawks. This experience inspired her to become a pilot. She worked various jobs to save money for flying lessons and was taught by Anita Snook, the first woman to own and operate an aviation business. Snook taught Earhart to fly and helped her buy her own biplane, which he named "The Canary," and that's where the story begins.
Unknown Facts about Amelia Earhart:
Amelia Earhart was the second person to fly solo across the Atlantic and the first woman to fly solo and nonstop across the United States, among other accomplishments.
Earhart became the first woman vice president of the National Aeronautic Association, which authorized official records and races.
She also lobbied for birth control rights, supported women in politics and business, and endorsed the draft for men, women, and even the elderly to promote equality and peace.She also lobbied for birth control rights, supported women in politics and business, and endorsed the draft for men, women, and even the elderly to promote equality and peace.
Earhart designed a line of "functional" women's clothing, including dresses, blouses, pants, suits, and hats, initially using her own sewing machine, dress form, and seamstress. She modeled her own designs for promotional spreads.
Earhart also designed a line of lightweight, canvas-covered plywood luggage sold by Orenstein Trunk of Newark, New Jersey. Earhart luggage was sold into the 1990s.
In 1935, Earhart became a visiting professor at Purdue University at the invitation of Purdue president Edward Elliott, an advocate of higher education for women, especially in engineering and science.
Earhart also wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences and joined Purdue University in 1935 as a visiting faculty member.
The Disappearance of Amelia Earhart: In 1937, Earhart attempted to circumnavigate the globe. Unfortunately, her Purdue-funded Lockheed Model 10 Electra disappeared over the Pacific Ocean near Howland Island in July.
Despite extreme efforts to locate the plane, which ended up constituting the most expensive air and sea search in American history up to that point, there was no sign of Earhart or Noonan anywhere. Earhart was officially declared dead on January 5, 1939.
Achievements of Amelia Earhart:
January 3, 1921 – Began flying lessons with Neta Snook
July 1921 – Bought first plane, the Kinner Airster (named “The Canary”)
October 22, 1922 – Broke women’s altitude record when she rose to 14,000 feet
June 17-18, 1928 – First woman to fly across the Atlantic; 20hrs 40min (Fokker F7, Friendship)
Summer 1928 – Bought an Avro Avian, a small English plane famous because Lady Mary Heath, Britain’s foremost woman pilot, had flown it solo from Capetown, South Africa, to London
Fall 1928 – Published book, 20 Hours 40 Minutes, toured, and lectured; became aviation editor of Cosmopolitan magazine
August 1929 – Placed third in the First Women’s Air Derby, also known as the Powder Puff Derby; upgraded from her Avian to a Lockheed Vega
Fall 1929 – Elected as an official for National Aeronautic Association and encouraged the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) to establish separate world altitude, speed, and endurance records for women
June 25, 1930 – Set women’s speed record for 100 kilometers with no load and with a load of 500 kilograms
July 5, 1930 – Set speed record for of 181.18mph over a 3K course
September 1930 – Helped to organize and became vice president of public relations for new airline, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington Airways
April 8, 1931 – Set woman’s autogiro altitude record with 18,415 feet (in a Pitcairn autogiro)
May 20-21, 1932 – First woman to fly solo across the Atlantic; 14 hrs 56 min (it was also the 5th anniversary of Lindberg’s Atlantic flight; awarded National Geographic Society’s gold medal from President Herbert Hoover; Congress awarded her the Distinguished Flying Cross; wrote The Fun of It about her journey
August 24-25, 1932 – First woman to fly solo nonstop coast to coast; set women’s nonstop transcontinental speed record, flying 2,447.8 miles in 19hrs 5min
Fall 1932 – Elected president of the Ninety Nines, a new women’s aviation club which she helped to form
July 7-8, 1933 – Broke her previous transcontinental speed record by making the same flight in 17hrs 7min
January 11, 1935 – First person to solo the 2,408-mile distance across the Pacific between Honolulu and Oakland, California; also first flight where a civilian aircraft carried a two-way radio
April l9 – 20, 1935 – First person to fly solo from Los Angeles to Mexico City; 13hrs 23min
May 8, 1935 – First person to fly solo nonstop from Mexico City to Newark; 14hrs 19min
March 17, 1937 – Amelia and her navigator, Fred Noonan, along with Captain Harry Manning and stunt pilot Paul Mantz, fly the first leg of the trip from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, in 15 hours and 47 minutes
June 1, 1937 – Began flight around the world June 1937; first person to fly from the Red Sea to India
Ways to celebrate the day
To delve deeper into the life of Amelia Earhart and share her story with others, consider organizing a quiz or discussion centered around Amelia Earhart. Whether it's through reading a book or watching a documentary, Amelia Earhart Day is an excellent opportunity to explore not just her own adventures, but also the achievements of other pioneering women in aviation history. Embrace the day by diving into more information about this renowned female aviator and inspiring other women pioneers.
You can try out some of these:
Book- Amelia Earhart: A Biography by Doris L. Rich (1989) and Amelia Earhart’s Shoes: Is the Mystery Solved? by Thomas F. King (2004).
Film- Amelia (2009)
Her accomplishments still inspire women worldwide to pursue careers in aviation. The intrigue surrounding her life, career, and the mystery of her disappearance shows no signs of fading away. The resolution of the mystery, however, remains uncertain.
