August 2012

Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Continues

Amelia Earhart and her Lockheed ElectraAmelia Earhart and her Lockheed Electra

Amelia Earhart and her Lockheed Electra

Amelia Earhart posed with her famous Lockheed Electra airplane.

This July marked the 75th anniversary of one of history’s biggest mysteries. In 1937, Amelia Earhart was attempting to become the first woman pilot to fly around the world. On July 2, Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, began one of the longest and most dangerous parts of the journey. They took off from what is now Papua New Guinea, flying to Howland Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Earhart and Noonan never reached their destination. They may have run out of fuel. Some think that their plane crashed into the ocean. Others believe that Earhart made an emergency landing in the Marshall Islands. They suspect that Japanese soldiers held Earhart prisoner because they thought she was a spy.

New evidence suggests that Earhart and Noonan may have reached safety on the Pacific island of Nikumaroro (nee•koo•mah•ROH•roh). Some artifacts that date to the 1930s have been found on the island. Also, a photograph of the island taken in October 1937 shows what seems to be a plane’s landing gear sticking up from the water. This evidence leads some historians to believe that Earhart and Noonan may have survived for a short time on Nikumaroro.

On July 3, 2012, historian Ric Gillespie launched a new expedition to search the waters off Nikumaroro for remains of Earhart’s plane. Gillespie’s team collected hours of video and sonar data, but they did not find any wreckage. The team plans to analyze the data for clues that might help solve the 75-year-old mystery.

At the time of her disappearance, Amelia Earhart was one of the most famous women in the world. Today, she is still a symbol of courage, daring, and determination. She continues to inspire people around the world.

Image credit: ©Archivio GBB Contrasto/Redux Pictures

Related Links

 
Question 1
What was Amelia Earhart trying to accomplish in 1937?





 
Question 2
What was Amelia Earhart’s destination on July 2, 1937?






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