Amelia Earhart Day: Her Legacy, Impact, and Solo Journey

Amelia Earhart was a pioneer in aviation, especially for women. During a time when women struggled to find work, live alone, or even open a bank account, Earhart was flying planes and breaking down barriers.

While most people know Earhart because of her disappearance, she's a lot more than her last moments. In her short 41 years of life, she achieved so much.

To celebrate her achievements, bravery, and confidence, we've compiled a slideshow all about her life. She's so important, in fact, that she has a day reserved for her – Amelia Earhart Day. It falls on her birthday, July 24th.

For this slideshow, 24/7 Tempo consulted history and aviation resources to find information on her life and achievements, like the National Women's History Museum, the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, and National Geographic.

Amelia Earhart was born on July 24, 1897, in Atchison, Kansas, to Samuel "Edwin" Stanton Earhart and Amelia 'Amy' Otis. She had one younger sister and grew up unconventionally, with her mother encouraging her to explore and learn. She also wore bloomers instead of dresses, and she and her sister were very adventurous and curious, collecting insects on their outings.

Earhart loved learning. She was a young reader and always had her head in the clouds or her nose buried in her books. Her mother home-schooled Earhart and her sister until Amelia was about 12 years old.

Although she was born in Kansas, they moved around quite a bit. By the time Earhart was to enroll in high school, they lived in Chicago. Amelia graduated from Hyde Park High School in 1916. While she started junior college, she didn't finish.

Did you know that before Amelia Earhart took to the skies, she worked as a nurse? In 1917, she gained an interest in nursing after she saw wounded soldiers returning home on a visit to see her sister. Taking her education and certification (nurse's aide from the Red Cross), she started working with the Voluntary Aid Detachment at Spadina Military Hospital. Funny enough, in her job as a nurse's aide, she grew interested in flying. Many of the patients told stories of piloting the air.

Amelia Earhart was a natural in the aviation industry, but didn't start as an expert. Her interest grew after her nursing job at Spadina Military Hospital. However, it grew even more during the 1920s. The day that really changed her life was on December 28, 1920. On this day, she took a 10-minute flight at Emory Roger's Field with Frank Hawks. This life-changing experience made her crave the adventure of flying. Just a month later, she booked a flying instructor, Neta Snook Southern, the first woman to run an aviation business.

Just a month after her flight with Frank Hawks, Earhart took her first lesson. On January 3, 1921, she took her first lesson, which sparked the rest of her career. For flying lessons, she worked all kinds of jobs to save $1,000. The lessons weren't easy. To get there, she took the bus and walked an extra four miles to the airfield. But it was worth it. Just a year and some change later, on October 22, 1922, Earhart flew to an altitude of 14,000 feet, breaking the previous world record for female pilots. This wasn't her only early achievement. Earhart was also only the 16th woman to be issued a pilot's license in the United States.

One of her biggest achievements is becoming the first woman in the world to cross the Atlantic Ocean – and only seven years after her first lesson! Technically, she was just a passenger, but it was no small feat. On June 18, 1928, she crossed the Atlantic Ocean on a Fokker tri-motor aircraft. The pilots were Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon. The flight lasted 20 hours and 40 minutes.

Two months after becoming the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean, she became the first woman to fly solo across the North American continent and back. This experience led her to compete. During the first Santa Monica-to-Cleveland Women's Air Derby, she placed third in the heavy planes division.

On to the saddest thing to happen to Earhart, her disappearance while attempting a world flight. Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan attempted to fly around the world. They left for their journey on May 21, 1937. So, what happened? While on a difficult stretch to Howland Island, the plane disappeared. Although we might never know the details, the U.S. government believed the plane may have run out of fuel, leading to Earhart and Noonan to crash-land into the Ocean, likely passing away shortly after or on impact. Over 80 years later, and we've never found the plane or their remains.

As sad as it is that her life was cut so short, Earhart managed to do much with so little time. She broke records, barriers, and inspired women to get into aviation. Her goal was to get as many women in the air as possible, which is why she promoted aviation so heavily. She did this in her writing as aviation editor for Cosmopolitan from 1928 to 1930. She also wrote her own books, including "20 Hrs. 40 Min" and "The Fun of It."

Amelia Earhart was a super interesting person. She struggled with an illness from her young adult years, yet never let it stop her. She was also ahead of her time when it came to relationships and marriage. On February 7, 1931, she married George P. Putnam. They considered themselves partners and equals and believed in 50-50. Amelia also kept her last name, refusing to change it.