10 Things You May Not Know About Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart is one of the most famous American pilots. A record setting aviator, she was the second person to fly solo and nonstop across the Atlantic, the first person to fly solo and nonstop across the United States, and much more. She tragically went missing while attempting to fly around the world.

Earhart’s life, while tragically cut short, was many layered. In addition to the feats accomplished while in a plane, Earhart made an impact in areas from ranging from fashion to flying an autogiro. Here are ten things you may not know about the famous American pilot.

1. Amelia Earhart Saw Her First Plane When She Was 10

Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison, Kansas, on July 24, 1897. Today, we recognize this day as Amelia Earhart Day in honor of her accomplishments. She had one sister, and her family moved around a lot, eventually ending up in Chicago, where she graduated from Hyde Park High School in 1915. Did you know Amelia attended six high schools in four years because her family moved so much?

From a young age, Amelia was an adventurous girl. She loved spending time outdoors and exploring. She saw her first airplane when she was 10 at a state fair in Iowa. Although she didn’t realize it then, she would fall in love with flying and become the most famous female pilot in history.

2. Served as a Nurse During World War I

During World War I, Earhart decided to leave her studies at Philadelphia’s Ogontz School in order to join the World War I effort in Toronto. In February 1918, she moved to the city and became a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse at Spadina Military Convalescent Hospital. During this time, Earhart also caught pneumonia from one of her patients, and her lungs never fully recovered.

While in Toronto, she and her sister, Muriel, became acquainted with local Royal Flying Corps officers, often visiting nearby military airfields to watch pilots practice.

3. Amelia Enrolled in Medical School — Twice

Even though Amelia is known as a world-famous pilot, it wasn’t always her plan. After graduating high school, she visited her sister in Toronto, Canada, and decided to become a nurse’s aide after seeing the effects of WWI firsthand. 

She enrolled at Columbia University for medical school in 1919 but left. In 1925, Amelia started school again at Columbia but eventually left because of finances. In the meantime, she worked as a teacher and a social worker.

4. She Advocated for Equality for Women

When she was a social worker, Amelia worked at the Denison House for immigrants in Boston. It was here that she was inspired to help pave the way for more educational opportunities for women and girls. In fact, she was in charge of adult education there. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Amelia advocated for equality for women in every aspect of life. If a man could do it, there was no reason a woman couldn’t too. 

Later, Amelia helped establish an organization for female pilots, the Ninety-Nines, and she served as its first president. In 1935, Earhart became a visiting professor at Purdue University and advocated for women in engineering and science.

5. She Designed a Clothing Line for Women

Being the adventurous spirit that she was, Amelia knew that women’s fashions of the time weren’t exactly compatible with ladies who liked to be active and on the go.So, she created Amelia Fashions in the early 1930s. Her line included dresses, pants, suits, and more designed to be wrinkle-free. She even developed a two-piece flying suit for the Ninety-Nines featuring a unique design.

6. Amelia Was an Author

In addition to advocating for women, working as a social worker, and being a pioneer in aviation, Amelia authored two books. The first book, 20 Hrs. 40 Min: Our Flight in the Friendship, was published in 1928. It told the story of her experience as the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean as a passenger. Later, Amelia would break another record by completing this flight on her own. 

Her second book, The Fun of It: Random Records of My Own Flying and of Women in Aviation, was published in 1932. It recounted Amelia’s adventures and told the stories of other female aviators.

7. College Professor

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, a former premedical student, served as a counselor for women and a lecturer in aeronautics. Elliott was also interested in supporting Earhart’s flying career and convinced Purdue benefactors to purchase a twin-engine Lockheed 10-E Electra for her.

8. She Also Flew the Autogiro

In 1930, after only 15 minutes of instruction, Earhart became the first woman to fly an autogiro, made by Pitcairn and featuring rotating blades to increase lift and allow short takeoffs and landings. Earhart set the first autogiro altitude record and made two autogiro cross-country tours, which were marked by three public crashes. Though Earhart was the most famous woman pilot, she was not necessarily the most skilled.

9. She Set New Records as a Female Pilot

Amelia Earhart is best known for her record-breaking flights across the world. When she flew for the first time in 1920, she declared, “As soon as I left the ground, I knew I myself had to fly.” Three years later, she became the 16th woman to get her pilot’s license.

Between 1928 and 1935, Amelia set many records. Not only was she the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, but she also was the first person to make the trip twice!

10. Amelia Earhart’s Disappearance Remains a Mystery

In 1937, Amelia set course for a flight across the Pacific Ocean from which she’d never return. There are many theories surrounding what actually happened, but there’s no guarantee we will ever know for sure. The most supported ideas suggest that she either ran into bad weather or ran out of fuel and crash-landed in the ocean. 

Eventually, the book Last Flight was published, containing letters, diary entries, charts, and other materials Amelia sent to her husband during this last historic trip. Amelia Earhart’s mysterious disappearance made her the talk of the aviation world for decades.