Amelia Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, which she earned by flying solo across the Atlantic Ocean. At the age of 23, Earhart flew for the first time—a trip that cost her $10. After that, she declared, “I knew I had to fly.”
It was on this day, July 2nd, in 1937 that Amelia Earhart and her navigator Frederick Noonan attempted to fly around the world. The duo expected to land on Howland Island, but gas was running low and radio navigation failed. Their aircraft went missing and was never found.
One hour after Earhart’s last recorded message was sent, a search began around Howland Island. The Navy and Coast Guard continued to search until July 19, spending a total of $4 million on the effort. That made this the most costly and the most intensive rescue search in U.S. history at the time.
Although the mystery has not been solved, two theories about the disappearance have prevailed. Some researchers believe the aircraft ran out of fuel and sank at sea. Others think her body may have been found in 1940 on Gardner Island, 350 miles southeast of Howland Island, but those remains were misplaced and never recovered.