Amelia Earhart Day honors a famous aviation pioneer. Amelia Earhart broke many early aviation records. There are two dates to celebrate this day. The U.S. Congress and then-President Ronald Reagan declared the holiday on May 20. There are few details around the creation of the second date on second July 24. We suggest you celebrate them both.

Legend and mystery surround the final flight and disappearance of Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan. They were on a record-setting attempt to fly around the world when they became lost in the Pacific Ocean. On July 2, 1937, they headed on a difficult leg of the journey toward Howell Island in the Pacific. Weather conditions were less than ideal. While still in radio communication, ships on the ground confirmed that Earhart was having difficulty finding the island. Ultimately, radio communications faded and died. The plane was never heard from again.

The disappearance of Amelia Earhart’s plane resulted in the largest search and rescue operation to date. It also sparked rumors as to what caused the disappearance. To this day, theories and speculation still exist about the cause of the disappearance. Some theories involve conspiracies and even alien abductions.

Did you Know? The proper spelling of her name is Amelia. It was misspelled in a song about her and is now the more popular, albeit incorrect,  spelling of her name.

About the Airplane: The airplane Amelia Earhart flew on her fateful journey, was a Lockheed Model 10 Electra. It was best known as “The Flying Laboratory”.

Celebrate this holiday by learning and reading about Amelia Earhart, and other female aviators. We do not recommend you spend time searching for her or her plane. The U.S. Navy searched over 250,000 miles of ocean to no avail.