Distinguished by grace, self-assurance, and a spirit that welcomed adventure, Amelia Earhart made her mark on aviation history with daring feats and record-breaking journeys. From the moment she first set foot in an airplane, she knew that her destiny was to fly. Impelled by the freedom, beauty, and sheer pleasure of flying, Earhart refused to accept the prevailing view that women were not meant to pursue such nontraditional endeavors as piloting airplanes. Years later, when she successfully landed her single-engined Lockheed Vega in Ireland after taking off from North America, she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic ocean?and the second person of either gender to do so, after Charles Lindbergh. Other accomplishments followed, including being the first person to fly alone from Hawaii to California. Her disappearance on the final leg of her attempt to circumnavigate the globe has added to Earhart's mystique. But her achievements in life left a legacy t
