Artist Painting a Portrait of Amelia Earhart, 1928

Amelia Earhart took her first airplane ride in 1920. From then on, she devoted her life to flight. Earhart set records, made headlines and became one of the world's most famous pilots. Her speeches supported the growing aviation industry, and her product endorsements helped fund her flying. Earhart's disappearance during her around-the-world flight attempt in 1937 added to her mystique.