Page 36 - All About History - Issue 28-15

HE & ES

VILL INS

Amelia

Earhart

Amelia
was the first
Often remembered for her mysterious womantoreceive
the Distinguished
death, the life of this aviation heroine was
Flying Cross, after her
just as extraordinary solo Atlantic flight

Written by Alicea Francis

hen Amelia Mary Earhart was born just the older generations that disapproved; a girl
on Saturday 24 July 1897, her mother at school branded her ‘fast’ because three inches of
Amy noted down an old saying: “But her calf was exposed when she crossed her legs.
Saturday’s bairn must work for a living.” It was during one of her more ‘boyish’ moments
W For a woman who had never worked a that Amelia had her first experience of flying,
day in her life, whose mother and grandmother had inspired by a trip to the St Louis World’s Fair, where
equally privileged histories, it must have seemed her mother had forbidden her from riding on the
a strange prophesy to make for her daughter. For rollercoaster. Once back at home, Amelia set about
Amelia too was born into wealth. Her father Edwin building a rollercoaster of her very own using a
was a lawyer, her grandfather had been a judge, wooden packing box and roller-skate wheels. She
and so she seemed destined for a life like any other propped some wooden planks up against the tool
woman of her pedigree – she would marry into a shed roof to make a ramp, and clambered up for
family of similar standing, bear many children, and takeoff. Safely inside the box, she pushed herself
die with hands as untarnished as the day she was off the edge only to tumble out of control down the
born. But her family’s fortune was not to last, and steep incline, hit the ground, and somersault head
war was brewing. Amelia’s life was to be anything over heels. As she emerged from the broken box,
but ordinary. her lip bruised and dress torn, she exclaimed to her
From a young age, Amelia took an interest in sister: “Oh, Pidge, it’s just like flying.”
pursuits outside of what was considered ‘proper’ for However, her carefree childhood was to be
girls of her class. She spent her days climbing trees, cut short when it was discovered that her father
shooting rats and collecting animal bones. When was an alcoholic, and in 1914 he was forced to
her mother gave her a pair of bloomers, it wasn’t retire. At about the same time, Amelia’s maternal
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