Born in 1898, Amelia Earhart learned to fly an airplane in the early 1920s.

By 1928 she had crossed the Atlantic Ocean as an airplane passenger and in 1932
flew transatlantic alone.  She was given the nickname "Lady Lindy." Earhart and
Fred Noonan began an equatorial flight around the world in 1937.  On July 2,
they took off from New Guinea to Howland Island, two days later than intended
because of weather.

During the night, radio transmissions were heard from their plane.  At 8:44
a.m., her last message was received, noting that she was flying in the same
direction as a strong weather front.

Nothing more was heard, and extensive searches turned up no trace of the plane
or these aviators.