145 Fun Facts About Amelia Earhart That Will Inspire

Amelia Earhart was a bold pilot, a friendly teacher, and a champion for curious kids everywhere.

These 145 facts explore her life, her planes, her big ideas, and the mystery that still stirs imaginations.

Ready for takeoff? Buckle in, learn a ton, and let her story lift your own dreams.

Origins & definitions

1. She was born on July 24, 1897, in Atchison, Kansas.
2. Her parents were Edwin Stanton Earhart and Amy Otis Earhart.
3. She had a younger sister, Grace Muriel Earhart, born in 1899.
4. As a child she was nicknamed “Meelie” by her family.
5. She graduated from Chicago’s Hyde Park High School in 1916.
6. In 1917–1918 she served as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse’s aide in Toronto during World War I.
7. She contracted the Spanish flu in 1918 and suffered sinus issues afterward.
8. She studied briefly at Columbia University in 1919 but did not complete a degree.
9. Her first airplane ride was a 10-minute hop in California in December 1920.
10. She began flight lessons in January 1921 with pioneer instructor Neta Snook.
11. She bought a bright yellow Kinner Airster biplane in 1921 and nicknamed it “The Canary.”
12. On October 22, 1922 she set a women’s altitude record of 4,267 m (14,000 ft).
13. On May 15, 1923 she became the 16th woman in the world to earn a pilot’s license from the FAI.
14. Financial strains in 1924 forced her to sell her first plane.
15. She moved to Boston in 1926 and worked as a social worker at Denison House.
16. In June 1928 she crossed the Atlantic as a passenger on the tri-motor “Friendship.”
17. That 1928 flight landed at Burry Port, Wales, after nearly 21 hours in the air.
18. She quickly became a public figure and began giving lectures to promote aviation.
19. She married publisher George Palmer Putnam on February 7, 1931.
20. She kept her own name after marriage and preferred to be called “AE.”

Record-breakers & wow numbers

21. On May 20–21, 1932 she flew solo nonstop across the Atlantic from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland.
22. That transatlantic solo took about 15 hours and made her the first woman to do it.
23. In 1932 she became the first woman awarded the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross.
24. In 1932 she also set a women’s nonstop transcontinental record from Los Angeles to Newark in about 19 hours.
25. She finished third in the 1929 Women’s Air Derby, nicknamed the “Powder Puff Derby.”
26. On January 11, 1935 she became the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to mainland USA.
27. The Honolulu to Oakland flight covered about 3,860 km (2,400 miles) over open ocean.
28. In 1935 she also became the first person to fly solo from Mexico City to Newark.
29. She set an autogyro altitude record of 5,613 m (18,415 ft) in April 1931.
30. She won the Harmon Trophy as America’s Outstanding Airwoman for 1932.
31. By the mid-1930s she had accumulated more than 1,000 flight hours.
32. She set multiple speed and distance marks recognized by national aviation groups.
33. Her 1932 Atlantic solo landing near Londonderry drew crowds within minutes.
34. In 1935 she completed the first solo flight by a woman from Los Angeles to Mexico City.
35. She received honorary degrees from several universities during her peak years.
36. Her books became bestsellers that expanded public interest in flying.
37. She inspired many women to earn pilot licenses during the early 1930s.
38. She made a widely publicized cross-country autogyro tour in 1931.
39. She became the second person in history to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic by airplane.
40. By 1937 she had planned a world-circling route of about 47,000 km (29,000 miles) near the equator.

Science & how it works

41. She flew a Lockheed Vega 5B for her 1932 transatlantic solo.
42. That famous red Vega carried extra fuel tanks installed in the cabin for long-range legs.
43. The Vega used a wooden monocoque fuselage that was strong and streamlined for its era.
44. For her world attempt she flew a Lockheed Electra 10E Special with two radial engines.
45. Each Electra engine produced about 600 horsepower for takeoff.
46. The Electra’s wingspan was about 16.8 m (55 ft).
47. Her Electra’s registration was NR16020, with “R” indicating a restricted, experimental category.
48. Additional fuel tanks in the Electra raised total capacity to over 3,800 liters (over 1,000 U.S. gallons).
49. She used a trailing wire antenna on the first 1937 attempt but removed it before the second try.
50. On the final leg the Electra primarily transmitted on 3,105 kHz and 6,210 kHz voice frequencies.
51. The ship stationed at Howland listened for her on those same radio bands during the approach.
52. The plane carried a Bendix radio direction finder loop for homing on signals.
53. Without a 500 kHz receiver on board, she could not use Howland’s low-frequency beacon.
54. Her navigator Fred Noonan used celestial navigation with a sextant and tables to fix position.
55. Dead reckoning combined estimated wind, speed, and headings to predict where they were.
56. To hedge errors they planned to fly a north–south “line of position” if Howland was missed.
57. The Electra’s cruising speed was roughly 270 km/h (170 mph) depending on load and winds.
58. The aircraft’s ceiling exceeded 6,000 m (20,000 ft), though long-range legs were flown much lower.
59. Her cockpit had basic flight instruments plus engine gauges and a fuel management panel for many tanks.
60. She wore practical flight gear, including a leather jacket, a silk scarf, and a lightweight helmet.

History, culture & impact

61. She co-founded an organization for women pilots in 1929 that became known as The Ninety-Nines.
62. The name “Ninety-Nines” came from the 99 charter members who responded to the first invitation.
63. She served as the first president of The Ninety-Nines in 1931.
64. She was the aviation editor for a major women’s magazine in 1928–1929.
65. She toured the United States giving safety-focused aviation talks throughout the 1930s.
66. She promoted air travel as a practical, time-saving way to cross long distances.
67. She launched a functional clothing line in the early 1930s designed with pilots’ needs in mind.
68. She once accepted a one-time cigarette endorsement in 1928 and later declined similar ads.
69. She favored simple, comfortable styles and often tailored her own clothes.
70. She advocated for women to pursue science, engineering, and technical careers.
71. In 1933 she took First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on a brief nighttime flight from Washington, D.C.
72. She joined Zonta International in 1930 and remained active in its professional network.
73. She wrote “20 Hrs., 40 Min.” in 1928 about the Friendship crossing.
74. She published “The Fun of It” in 1932 to encourage new flyers.
75. Her book “Last Flight” appeared in 1937 from her notes and letters during the world trip.
76. She joined Purdue University in 1935 as a career counselor and technical advisor.
77. Purdue support helped fund her specially equipped Lockheed Electra for the world flight.
78. She championed better training standards and equipment for navigation and radio.
79. She believed flying could build confidence and independence for young people.
80. She kept scrapbooks of newspaper clippings about women achievers when she was a teen.
81. She enjoyed sports like basketball and tennis and learned basic auto mechanics as a girl.
82. She stood about 173 cm (5 ft 8 in), which gave her a commanding presence in photos.
83. Her confident short haircut helped popularize a practical “bob” style in the late 1920s.
84. She carefully cultivated a warm, approachable public image to broaden aviation’s appeal.
85. She wrote a frank pre-wedding letter setting expectations for equality in her marriage.

Names & etymology

86. Friends and fans often shortened her name to the initials “AE.”
87. Her red Lockheed Vega gained the nickname “Little Red Bus” among admirers.
88. Her Kinner Airster’s nickname “The Canary” was inspired by its bright yellow paint.
89. The Coast Guard cutter stationed at Howland was named Itasca, a name she used in radio calls.
90. Her Electra’s radio call sign during the world flight was KHAQQ.
91. A lunar crater named Earhart honors her achievements in exploration.
92. An asteroid numbered 3895 carries the name Earhart in tribute.
93. A Missouri River crossing at Atchison is called the Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge.
94. Atchison, Kansas preserves her birthplace home as a public museum.
95. A dry cargo ship in the U.S. fleet was named USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE-6).

For kids: quick comparisons

96. Her 1932 transatlantic solo lasted about 15 hours, which is like two school days back to back.
97. The distance from Honolulu to Oakland is roughly the same as flying from London to Istanbul.
98. Her Electra’s wingspan of 16.8 m is about the length of a city bus and a half.
99. The 4,100 km leg from Lae to Howland was like crossing the continental United States east to west.
100. The 18,415 ft autogyro climb reached higher than many mountains in the Appalachians.
101. Her 173 cm height is about the height of a large household refrigerator.
102. Over 1,000 liters of fuel weighs about as much as a small car, and her Electra carried more than that.
103. A sextant that Fred Noonan used works like a protractor for the sky to measure sun and star angles.
104. A line of position is like drawing a straight line on a map where you know the plane must be.
105. Radio direction finding is like turning your head to find where a sound is loudest, but with antennas.
106. A monocoque fuselage acts like an eggshell where the skin carries most of the load.
107. Her wooden Vega needed careful maintenance because wood swells and shrinks with humidity.
108. Radial engines look like a star of cylinders and stay air-cooled as the plane moves.
109. A leather jacket helped block cockpit drafts because many 1930s cabins were not fully sealed.
110. Her famous scarf helped keep engine oil off collars more than it helped with warmth.

Pop culture & fun extras

111. She appeared in countless newsreels that played before movies in the 1930s.
112. Her face graced a U.S. airmail postage stamp issued in 1963.
113. She has been depicted in children’s books, comics, and animated shows for decades.
114. A 2009 family adventure film featured a spirited version of her as a main character.
115. Artists often show her with a leather flying helmet, goggles, and a bright scarf.
116. Many schools, parks, and airports across the United States bear her name.
117. A yearly festival in Atchison celebrates her birthday with airshows and exhibits.
118. The Smithsonian displays her red Lockheed Vega 5B in Washington, D.C.
119. The story of her backyard roller coaster crash as a child became a favorite biography anecdote.
120. Toy makers have produced model kits of her Vega and Electra for generations.
121. The Civil Air Patrol named a cadet milestone award after her to honor perseverance.
122. Major museums around the world have mounted special exhibits about her life and flights.
123. A modern pilot with the same name completed a global flight in 2014 to inspire students.
124. The Ninety-Nines maintain scholarships in her honor to support women earning advanced ratings.
125. Her life is retold in classroom plays and wax museums that spark interest in STEM.
126. Her signature leather jacket has become a popular costume for school history days.
127. Authors still reprint her books because readers enjoy her direct, encouraging voice.
128. Documentaries often reenact her final leg using navigation tools from the 1930s.
129. Her bold quotes about courage and preparation circulate widely on posters and classroom walls.
130. Her adventures have inspired songs, stage plays, and radio dramas since the 1930s.

Disappearance & search

131. She and navigator Fred Noonan began their second world attempt eastward from Miami on June 1, 1937.
132. They reached Lae, New Guinea, on June 29, 1937, with most of the route already completed.
133. The next leg aimed for tiny Howland Island, a speck less than 3 km long.
134. The great-circle distance from Lae to Howland is about 4,100 km (2,550 miles).
135. They carried fuel for roughly 20 hours of flight for that ocean crossing.
136. She reported difficulties with radio communications as they neared the destination.
137. She also reported flying along a 157–337° line of position while searching for the island.
138. The Coast Guard cutter near Howland heard several of her transmissions on the morning of July 2.
139. Clouds and scattered showers in the area complicated celestial fixes and visual spotting.
140. After radio contact ceased, a large air and sea search swept vast areas of the Pacific.
141. The official search lasted for weeks and was among the costliest peacetime efforts of its day.
142. One leading view holds that the plane ran out of fuel and ditched near Howland.
143. Another hypothesis suggests an emergency landing on Gardner Island, now called Nikumaroro.
144. Partial remains found on Nikumaroro in 1940 were later lost, and analyses of old measurements disagree.
145. A California court declared her legally dead on January 5, 1939, yet her story continues to inspire.

Quick FAQ

What was Amelia Earhart’s most famous flight?
Her most famous flight was her 1932 solo nonstop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.

What plane did she use for the world flight attempt?
She used a twin-engine Lockheed Electra 10E Special modified for long range.

Who was Amelia Earhart’s navigator?
Her navigator on the world attempt was Frederick “Fred” Noonan.

When did Amelia Earhart disappear?
She disappeared during the Lae-to-Howland leg on July 2, 1937.

Why is her story still important today?
Her courage, advocacy for women in technical fields, and public love of learning continue to motivate new generations of explorers.