Amelia’s childhood was bright and unforgettable, full of adventures and pranks. Despite belonging to the “weaker sex” among the children from the neighborhood streets, she was a recognized leader and a mastermind. Amelia excelled in school, especially in natural sciences, history, and geography.

In 1920, Amelia went to an airplane exhibition in Long Beach, California, and spent the first 10 minutes in the air there, but only as a passenger. Fascinated by the sensation of flight, Amelia decided to learn to fly herself, and in January 1921, she began taking flying lessons.

The lessons were not cheap, and to pay for her studies, Amelia worked as a banjo player in a music hall, a photographer, a cinematographer, a teacher, a secretary, a telephone operator, an auto mechanic, and a truck driver.

On October 22, 1922, Amelia Earhart set her first world record by climbing to an altitude of 4300 meters. No female pilot had ever done this before.

She quickly gained popularity and respect in local aviation circles: not only was she a good pilot, but she also did not shy away from technical work, helping mechanics maintain and repair aircraft.

On June 17, 1928, Amelia Earhart’s plane crossed the ocean in 20 hours and 40 minutes and landed off the coast of England in Berry Port (Wales). It must be admitted that Earhart, to her great regret, made this journey as a passenger. Bad weather and lack of experience in flying heavy multi-engine aircraft prevented Amelia from actively participating in the operation of the machine.

After the flight, Amelia wrote the book Twenty Hours and Forty Minutes, proving herself to be an excellent writer and storyteller.

In November 1929, she set a world speed record in California. Amelia managed to accelerate the car to 197 miles per hour (the previous record was 156 miles per hour).

In 1930, Earhart was elected the first president of the Ninety-Nine International Organization of Women Pilots, the first of its members (today it includes thousands of women pilots from many countries), which she initiated.

In August 1929, Earhart took part in the first women’s air race from California to Ohio. Before the start of the last stage, she had the best time and all the chances to win, but when she took off, Earhart saw that the engine of her main rival, Ruth Nichols, had caught fire. Stopping her car, Earhart rushed to Nichols’ plane, pulled her out of the cockpit and administered first aid. When doctors arrived at the scene of the accident, she continued to participate in the competition, but came in third.

At the zenith of fame In the spring of 1931, Earhart mastered the gyroplane; in April, she set a new world record for altitude – 18451 feet.

Amelia Earhart had a long-held dream: to fly around the world along the longest route, as close to the equator as possible. The attempt began on May 20, 1937. Amelia was accompanied by one navigator, Fred Noonan. By early July, the crew had flown more than 22 thousand miles, thus covering 80% of the route.