National Amelia Earhart Day

Adventure is worthwhile in itself

Amelia Earhart

Join in by learning about and honoring the life of this pioneering female aviator for National Amelia Earhart Day!

History of National Amelia Earhart Day

Amelia Earhart was born in 1897, during a time when the attitude toward women in the United States was beginning to change. Defying traditional roles, as a young woman, Earhart played basketball, took a course in how to repair automobiles and also attended college. Her service as a nurse’s aid in Canada during World War I exposed her to pilots who were training in the Royal Flying Corps.

Earhart’s first airplane ride happened in 1920. By 1921 she had started flying lessons and purchased her own airplane, “the Canary”. Setting many flying records, Earhart’s great achievement was becoming the first woman to fly solo over the Atlantic Ocean in 1932.

By 1937, Amelia Earhart set off on her second attempt at a flight around the world. She made it from California to Southeast Asia, but was eventually lost at sea.

Coinciding with the birthday of this brave aviation pioneer, which is on July 24, Amelia Earhart Day offers the opportunity for women and men everywhere to honor her accomplishments and encourage other women in their endeavors.

How to Celebrate National Amelia Earhart Day

Try out some of these ideas for celebrating National Amelia Earhart Day!

Take a Flight

In the spirit of adventure, one fine way to celebrate National Amelia Earhart Day might be to get flying. Whether this means hopping on a commercial flight, asking a friend with a pilot’s license to take you out, or even making steps toward earning your one pilot’s license, this is the day to fly!

Learn More About Amelia Earhart

Whether reading a book or watching a documentary film, National Amelia Earhart Day would be a great time to learn about not only her adventures, but also those of other women pioneers in aviation history. Try out some of these:

• Amelia Earhart: A Biography by Doris L. Rich (1989). This detailed book provides well researched accounts of Earhart’s life and the aviation industry in the early 20th century. 
• Amelia (2009). This film, starring Hilary Swank and Richard Gere, provides a dramatic glimpse into Earhart’s life, taking a deeper look at her relationship with her publishing tycoon husband, George Putnam. 
• Amelia Earhart’s Shoes: Is the Mystery Solved? by Thomas F. King (2004). Members of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery share their findings about the theory that Earhart and her navigator may have landed on an island in Fiji. 

Encourage Women Pioneers

Today’s women pioneers will certainly look different than Amelia Earhart’s adventures in flying, but they are no less important. Celebrate National Amelia Earhart Day by talking to some women who have blazed trails in new and creative ways in their lives. Or, take some time to encourage the young women in your sphere of influence to dream big dreams and make a difference in the world today!