Amelia Earhart’s life may have been far too short, but the pioneering aviator’s impact was vast. Born in 1897 in Kansas, Earhart moved frequently as a child and eventually finished high school in Chicago. Though she had an adventurous and independent spirit from a young age, her fascination with flight didn’t begin until after she visited her sister in Canada. Earhart took a job caring for wounded soldiers at a Toronto military hospital, where the aviators she met sparked an interest in flying. In 1920, her first plane ride cemented her passion. She began flying lessons soon after, and just two years later, the 25-year-old pilot set a women’s altitude record.

Earhart found worldwide fame in 1928 when she became the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean by plane, even if it was as a passenger. Shortly after, she helped found the Ninety-Nines, an organization of female aviators. Four years later, Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, and she documented her historical flight and her life in the book The Fun of It (1932). In 1937, while attempting to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe, the 37-year-old aviator disappeared over the Pacific Ocean. Despite extensive searches, her plane was never found, and Earhart was officially declared legally dead on January 5, 1939.