Not many people know that Amelia Earhart was raised by her grandmother Amelia from the time she was three. Born in July of 1897, Amelia was raised in Atchison, Kansas and remained close to her parents who only lived about fifty miles away. When she was ten Amelia moved back in with her parents and her younger sister. Amelia was the quintessential tomboy and loved to hunt, climb trees and ride horses.
Amelia first flew in an airplane with barnstormer Fred Hawks in 1920. She began her pilot lessons shortly after that first flight.
She was the first person to solo from Hawaii to California, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic and and the second person to fly solo across the Atlantic. In addition to her record breaking work in aviation she also wrote best selling books, created an organization for female pilots call the Ninety-Nines and served on the faculty of Purdue University.
Amelia married George P. Putnam in 1931 and they had no children together. Amelia disappeared in 1937 while attempting to be the first woman to fly around the world. A search for her and her plane was fruitless and she was declared dead in January of 1939.
The fascination with the life and achievements of Amelia Earhart continues to the present day and she is frequently mentioned in books, movies and television shows.
Television Shows
The Final Hours: Amelia Earhart’s Last Flight
National Geographic: Where’s Amelia Earhart?
Movies
Biography – Amelia Earhart (A&E DVD Archives)
Books
The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart
