On this day in 1935, American aviator Amelia Earhart took off from Wheeler Field in Honolulu, Hawaii, on a solo flight to North America ~ the first flight of its kind. A contest offered a $10,000 award to the person who successfully completed the flight first.

Up There. In the Sky. It's a Bird. It's a Plane. It's... Amelia Earhart. The next day, 2,400 miles and 18 hours later, Amelia Earhart landed in Oakland, California.

Not Her First Feat. On May 21, 1932, five years after American aviator Charles Lindbergh became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, Earhart became the first woman to do so. After she successfully landed her plane in Londonderry, Ireland. US Congress awarded her a Distinguished Flying Cross.

First Woman to Cross the Atlantic. Unlike Lindbergh, Earhart was well known to the public before her solo transatlantic flight. In 1928, as a member of a three-member crew, she became the first woman to cross the Atlantic in an aircraft. Her job: keeping the plane's log. But the event made her famous. Americans loved her personality and spirit of adventure.

Role Model. Part of a job she accepted at Purdue University was to counsel female students. Her message to her students stressed their entitlement, and near obligation, to break with tradition in order to achieve goals in life. To be the first was an honor to be sought, not feared.

Final Flight. Two years after her Hawaii to California flight, together with co-pilot Frederick J. Noonan, Earhart attempted to circle the globe at the equator. Her plane was lost on July 2, 1937, somewhere between New Guinea and Howland Island in the South Pacific. The details of the aircraft's disappearance remain a mystery. But Amelia Earhart remains a legend.

What She Said. "...decide...whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying."

The complete life and times of Amelia Earhart.

All ABOUT Amelia Earhart's flying achievements.

Mapping Earhart's last flight.

Take a virtual tour of Earhart's home.

The official site