In third grade I was assigned a “living museum” project where I memorized a speech and pretended to be an influential historical figure for a day. The extensive list of people I could choose ranged from famous athletes to brilliant inventors. Although there was a multitude of people on the list, there was only a handful of women. Wanting to be a historical female icon who didn’t star in movies, I chose an aviatrix named Amelia Earhart.

Despite forgetting two whole paragraphs of my speech, I learned that Earhart broke numerous barriers. She was the first female pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean solo and attempt to fly around the world. Inspiring over 1,000 women to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), the first generation of female aviators to transport military air crafts, target practice air crafts, gliders; and serve as transport pilots during World War II. In addition to kick starting hundreds of careers in aviation, Earhart was the president of The Ninety-Nines, an international group of women pilots who run one of the many historical museums dedicated to Amelia Earhart.

In June 1937, Earhart planned to fly around the world. She and Fred Noonan, Earhart’s navigator, began their flight in Miami. The pair flew to New Guinea, then to Howland Island. They were never heard from again. Although aircraft debris and wild theories (such as being captured by the Japanese or assuming another identity) have been speculated, no solid evidence has proven Amelia Earhart’s astounding disappearance. In memoriam, National Amelia Earhart Day was established on her birthday: July 24, 1897.