To commemorate the 70th anniversary of amelia earhart's attempt to flight solo over the Atlantic Ocean – thus becoming the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world – the Ninety-Nines Museum of Women Pilots revealed an exhibit dedicated to the still missing aviation pioneer. showcasing Earnhart's personal effectives that include a scarf, an elephant hide bracelet, and her pilot's license.
"She's still a mystery," said Margie Richison, the chairwoman of the museum's board of trustees. "She's probably the greatest mystery of the last century, and it's unsolved."
Earhart was born July 24, 1897 in Atchison, Kan. She went on her first flight in 1919 and three years later earned a pilot's license – a rarity for women in that era.
After a women's air derby in 1929 – in which Earhart finished third – a letter went out to all the nation's female pilots, a group that numbered less than 150, asking about interest in forming a women's aviation group. Ninety-nine of the women responded, leading to the group's name. Earhart became its first president.
Fifth-graders visiting the museum Thursday recreated Earhart's trans-Atlantic journey using small model planes.
Asked what he'd learned from studying Earhart's life, student Malcolm Davis said, "It showed that women can do anything!"
Teacher Cathy Ozeroglu said that's an important lesson for students of both genders to learn.
"Children need to know that," she said. "God has made us all equal and we all can accomplish great things."
Earhart became a media darling in good part because of her adventurous nature, Richison said. She became the first woman to fly solo over the Atlantic Ocean in 1932 and the first person – male or female – to fly from Hawaii to California over the Pacific Ocean three years later.