July 24, 1897, an amazing young pilot was born in Atchison, Kansas. Amelia was the first women to fly across the Atlantic, by herself, twice! She broke a record for the longest distance flown by a women, non-stop, and for crossing in the shortest time. She was a strong, independent woman, who knew what she wanted and was respected for it.
Amelia was the first child in her family, but two and a half years later, she was followed by her younger sister Muriel. Their parents left them with their grandparents, so the father could take a job with the Rock Island Line Railroad in Des Moines, Iowa. The two girls moved to Des Moines to be with their parents in 1908. At the Iowa State fair, 10yr old Amelia saw her first airplane.
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While Amelia was a teen, it had become obvious that her father was a drunk. In 1914, their father had lost his job and the girls left him to move in with friends in Chicago. In 1917 Amelia decided to train as a nurse aid in Toronto, Canada. In 1919, she became a pre-med student at Columbia University. In the 20's, she decided to join her parents (who newly re-united) in California.
Her father brought her to an aerial meet. She became very interested in flying. Her first time beginning the next day, she knew that she had to fly the plane! Amelia soon begun taking flying lessons. She purchased her first airplane, leading to several accidents. In 1922 Amelia begun trying for record breaking attempts and set her first women's record. Amelia soon after traded her plane in for a car. In 1925, she became a social worker. She invested what little money she had. The Boston Globe called her "one of the best women pilots in the United States". April 27, 1926, a phone call was made, that soon changed her life forever. Captain H.H Riley asked her if she would like to be the first women to fly across the Atlantic.
Amelia accepted the offer but she would only be a passenger in the flight. William Stulty and Louis Gordon were piloting.