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Many of you might have heard of Amelia Earhart as “the one who dissapeared flying a plane”, or "the lady who was never seen  or never heard from again after her flight”. But what you don’t know is that she helped change the way people thought of women forever. In the early 1900’s there were very few occupations open for a woman, apart from agriculture (on small family farms) and small jobs in factories. The many women who worked had to do factory work, or take poorly paid jobs in service industries (catering, cleaning and so on). Some were school teachers and nurses. There were also a handful of university teachers who were women, but really only a handful, as very few women went to college then.

In 1922, Earhart became the first woman to fly at an altitude of 14,000 feet. This is when she made a change for all women. They were proven that they could do whatever they wanted. She began holding records and fulfilling huge ambitions. In 1928 she became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean with co-pilots Wilmer Stultz and Lou Gordon. In 1932 she flew across the Atlantic solo. Then. in 1935 became first person to fly from Honolulu to California. She participated in flight contests like the Bendix Trophy race winning 5th place.

By this time Earhart wanted to accomplish an even bigger goal. Her plan was to fly around the world. In March 1937, she flew to Hawaii with co- pilot Paul Mantz to start the flight. The plane had to be sent to the factory for repairs. However, do to the loss of control during takeoff she could not complete her task at this time. Once again in June, she went to Miami to finally take off to fly around the world with Fred Noonan as her navigator, leaving behind the important navigation and communication instruments. They reached New Guinea in 21 days. Earhart and ill during this was exhausted time. From then they left New Guinea for Howland Island, a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. July 2, 1937, was the last time Earhart and Noonan communicated with a US Coast Guard ship ‘Itasca’.  The United States launched a major search and rescue operation, which was abandoned on July 18 two years after her disappearance. Earhart then was declared legally dead in Superior Court in Los Angeles, CA.

However, Amelia was not just another pilot who went missing. She was a role model to women of all ages. She fought for womens rights with Bessie Coleman and made a difference. Skill wise, she wasn't the best pilot but her personality, determination, and strive to achieve more are why everyone looked up to her. Her legacy wasn't just setting records in aviation but also sticking up for what she believed in and trying to make a difference.

 

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