Deseret News archives: Amelia Earhart made history despite murky end to her life

A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.

On May 21, 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean as she landed in Northern Ireland, about 15 hours after leaving Newfoundland.

Like Charles Lindbergh, she became an icon in aviation. She inspired girls and women with her adventurous spirit. Born in Kansas in 1897, the photogenic Earhart was a popular speaker, a pioneer in the equal rights movement, author, promoter and friend to the stars.

Earhart even made a stop in Utah, but unlike Lindbergh’s triumphant barnstorming tour in 1927, her stop in Eureka was most humorous than inspirational.

“Forgotten Earhart link to Utah found”

But like any adventurers, she wanted more.

During a 1937 attempt to become the first woman to complete a circumnavigational flight of the world, she and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean. And no one is sure what happened.

Here are some Deseret News archive stories since then:

“The Earhart mystery”

“Here’s why the mystery of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance could be solved soon”

“Will sonar locate Amelia Earhart’s plane?”

“Reporter’s journal adds clue to Earhart mystery”