May 21, 1932: Amelia Earhart Breaks Records
On this day in 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She departed from Newfoundland and landed in a pasture in Northern Ireland.
Amelia Earhart may have been the most well-known woman pilot of her time, but she was neither the first nor the last to achieve great heights in the world of American Aviation. Check out American Experience's “Women in Flight” photo gallery for more.
Photo: Amelia Earhart, c. 1928 (Library of Congress)