Amelia Mary Earhart was born July 24, 1897. Her parents were Amy and Edwin Earhart. She grew up to love planes and fighting. She did many things that were a first for women. Amelia was like her mother who was the first woman to climb Pikes Peak. Amelia was one of the few female pilots of her time. As a female pilot, Amelia Earhart made flights that broke many records.
Amelia started to have an interest in airplanes in 1920 at the age of 23. She had not even see her first airplane until 1908. Amelia was not very impressed with them at that time (Rich 21). In 1920, she begged her parents to let her have fling lessons. Her parents agreed and she took lessons from Neta Snook. Neta Snook was one of the few women pilots of the time. .
Amelia got her first plane in 1922. Amelia called her new plane the Canary. She got it before she ever flew a plane by herself. The new airplane was light weight and had an air-cooled engine. The airplane was called the Canary because of its yellow color. She never did fly the Canary solo. She had her first crash in the Canary when she was with Neta Snook. Amelia did not clear some trees and crashed. Amelia got out of the airplane, started to powder her nose and said "We have to look nice when the reporters come" (Parr 34).
Amelia Earheart loved to fly and set many records (Briand 113).Amelia got third place in the first woman's air derby. Amelia set a speed record July 6, 1929, and she set an altitude record April 8, 1931. In August 1932, Amelia set a woman's non-stop transcontinental speed record. Then almost a year later, in July 1933, she broke her own woman's non-stop transcontinental speed record. Amelia was the first to fly solo from Hawaii to California and later was the first to fly solo form California to Mexico (Parr 66-67).
Amelia Earhart was the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean by air. On June 17, 1922, Amelia was a passenger on a plane that flew across the Atlantic Ocean.