Amelia Earhart's Milestones
Birth
Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison, Kansas, to Samuel Edwin Stanton Earhart and Amelia Otis Earhart.
Family moved to Des Moines
Family moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where Amelia saw her first airplane at a state fair.
Early education
Attended various schools in Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois due to family moves.
Attended Ogontz School
Attended Ogontz School in Pennsylvania, a private college preparatory school for girls.
Volunteered as nurse's aide
Volunteered as a nurse's aide in Toronto during World War I, caring for wounded soldiers.
Enrolled at Columbia University
Studied pre-med at Columbia University before leaving to join her parents in California.
First airplane ride
Took her first airplane ride in California, inspiring her passion for aviation.
First flying lesson
Began flying lessons with female instructor Neta Snook.
Bought first plane
Purchased her first airplane, a Kinner Airster, nicknamed 'The Canary.'
Set altitude record
Set a women's world altitude record of 14,000 feet.
Received pilot's license
Became the 16th woman in the world to receive a pilot's license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
Became aviation editor for Cosmopolitan
Served as aviation editor for Cosmopolitan magazine, promoting aviation to the public.
First transatlantic flight (passenger)
Became the first woman to cross the Atlantic by air as a passenger on the Friendship flight; became an international celebrity.
Co-founded The Ninety-Nines
Co-founded and became the first president of The Ninety-Nines, an international organization of female pilots.
Married George Putnam
Married publisher George Palmer Putnam.
Published 'The Fun of It'
Published her autobiography 'The Fun of It,' inspiring women in aviation.
First solo transatlantic flight
Became the first woman to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean, from Newfoundland to Ireland.
Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross
First woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross for her solo transatlantic flight.
First solo transcontinental flight
First woman to fly solo nonstop across the United States, from Los Angeles to Newark.
First solo Hawaii to California flight
First person to fly solo from Hawaii to California.
First solo Mexico City to Newark flight
First person to fly solo nonstop from Mexico City to Newark, New Jersey.
Attempted world flight
Attempted to circumnavigate the globe with navigator Fred Noonan; disappeared over the Pacific Ocean and was declared lost at sea.
Legacy and honors
Earhart remains a pioneering figure in aviation; numerous memorials, scholarships, and a US postage stamp honor her legacy.
Declared legally dead
Amelia Earhart was declared legally dead in absentia by a California court.