Amelia Earhart – a Hero in American History

The definition of a courageous person is to face danger or stand up against the odds without flinching, meaning that a courageous person is very brave. Amelia Earhart was a one courageous woman who broke down barriers and became a hero in history. She was the first woman to fly a plane solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and she was the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to the U.S mainland. Unfortunately, on one of her solo flights she disappeared and was never found again. But what she left behind is something the world will never forget. She achieved many things and inspired many women.

Amelia Earhart was born on July 24, 1897, in Atchison, Kansas. Her parents were Amy Otis and Edwin Earhart. She also had a sister named Muriel. The family moved from place to place, they moved from Kansas to Iowa to Minnesota and eventually to Illinois. After graduating from high school in Illinois, she went to Toronto, Canada where she volunteered to be a nurse for the Red Cross during World War I. While she was there, she met aviators and became interested in flying planes.

In 1920, she had her first plane ride, and she realized that flying is something that she wants to do. Flying became her true passion. She then began to take flying lessons from an aviator named Neta Snook. Earhart read about everything that she could find on flying. Then in 1922, she purchased her first plane which was a Kinner Airster biplane and she flew 14,000 feet in the air which set the women’s altitude record. Unfortunately, she had to sell her plane because of family finances. But she never gave up on flying.

Amelia Earhart accomplished many things. For example, she wrote a book called 20 Hours 40 minutes, and she was the first person to do many things when it came to flying. She was the first person to fly from coast to coast, the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean between Honolulu and Oakland, California, she was the first to fly solo from Los Angeles to Mexico City, and she was the first person to fly nonstop from Mexico City to Newark. Another thing that Earhart accomplished was that she set many records. For example, she set speed record of 181.18mph and she set the woman’s autogiro altitude record with 18,415ft. But what she is most known for is, she was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Unfortunately, when Earhart set off to fly around the world with her navigator Fred Noonan, about two-thirds of the trip was covered when they disappeared into thin air. The United States Navy and Coast Guard made the largest and most expensive air search in American History. But Earhart and Noonan were never found. There have been many theories about what happened to Earhart and Noonan but none were ever confirmed. On the trip, she wrote her husband “Please know I am quite aware of the hazards… I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried”.

In conclusion, Amelia Earhart was a very courageous person who inspired many people. She achieved many things that marked American history, and she became a hero for many. What she left behind will never be forgotten.