David Binney Putnam, Amelia Earhart and Dorothy Binney Putnam, Rye, New York, 1928

Amelia Earhart's successful flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928 brought instant fame. Her publicist (and eventual husband) George Putnam worked with Earhart to nurture that fame. Payments Earhart received for speeches and product endorsements helped fund further aviation endeavors. Her 1937 disappearance only added to Earhart's mystique. Arguably, she remains America's best-known female pilot even today.