Amelia Earhart, the first female pilot to be
recognized, and the living proof that both men and
women were and are equal in jobs requiring
intelligence and willpower. Born on July 24,
1897 in Atchison, Kansas, she spent most of
her early childhood in in the upper-middle class
household of maternal grandparents.As a child she sought out adventures, exploring her neighbordhood, and taking ridiculous rides on Amelia’s sled.
Surprisingly, as a ten-year old, Amelia never had shown as much interest in planes as she did in killing rats. She had seen her first plane at a state fair and was not impressed, dismissively calling it “...a thing rusty and wire wood and looked not at all interesting.” It wasn’t until, nearly a decade later that she then became intrigued by planes and aviation at a stunt flying exhibition. On December 28th of the year 1920, pilot Frank Hawks gave her a ride that changed her life and lit a fire in heart to become a skillful woman in the flying world.
Despite the fact that flying was a predominantly male orientated field, she pursued aviation because she was no stranger to doubt and disapproval, and it was something she truly wanted to become known for. Amelia Earhart had always defied conventional feminine behaviour; along with other “manly” activities.
After graduating from Hyde Park High School, and completing the first year at a girl’s finishing school, as well as half of her second year, she then took a Christmas vacation to Canada with one of her relatives. She became a nurse’s aide and treated pilots that had been out on all fronts during World War I. She gained a respect for both the plane, and the pilot. Earhart took her first flying lesson on the 3rd of January in 1921, spending much of her money on it. Using the rest of the money she had earned as a social worker she bought her own plane — a second hand two seater painted in a bright yellow. Amelia named it “The Canary.” She used it to set her first women's record by rising to an altitude of 14,000 feet. Unfortunately she had to sell the plane when her family’s funds had run out.
To some degree of random luck, on an afternoon of April 1928, Amelia Earhart
received a phone call — a request to become
the first female passenger to ride across the
Atlantic. Many people believed it was much
too dangerous for a woman.