Amelia Earhart Honored by Google and Fans on 115th Birthday

By Emma Koonse, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Amelia Earhart, the aviation pioneer shrouded in mystery, has been celebrated with a Google Doodle on what would have been her 115th birthday Tuesday.

Born on July 24, 1897, the pilot remains a point of fascination even decades after her disappearance over the Pacific Ocean in July of 1937.

Google's homepage featured a stylized drawing of Earhart in pilot gear donning a helmet and a long yellow scarf standing beside a Google-branded plane.

During the time of her disappearance 75 years ago, Earhart was flying the aircraft Electra attempting to circumnavigate the globe. It was near the uninhabited coral island Howland Island just north of the equator in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that she vanished without a trace. The Electra had been scheduled to land there along her trip.

The wreckage from Earhart's flight has never been recovered, despite millions of dollars poured into the failed attempts. This year, an expedition led by the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery spent an additional $2.2 million on trying to find the Lockheed Model 10 Electra.

It is believed that Earhart's ill-fated final voyage was due to poor communication and navigation issues, and not enough fuel.

Around the time of her last voyage, Earhart was already a well known celebrity, having become the first woman to ever fly solo, non-stop across the Atlantic in 1932.

After first falling in love with flying by taking a 10-minute flying lesson in 1920, Earhart became the 16th woman to receive a piloting license in 1923.

The female pioneer was declared legally dead in 1939.

Google illustrators are not the only ones honoring Earhart on Tuesday. Twitter users celebrated the aviation pioneer with hundreds of messages, with Amelia Earhart becoming a trending topic on the social media site Tuesday morning.

"Happy birthday, Amelia Earhart," posted Mirna. "Such an unforgettable legend- aviatrix."

The U.S. Air Force wrote, "Today, we recognize one of the most popular #American aviatrix -- Amelia Earhart!"

Twitter user Pheroze quoted Earhart, writing, "Everyone has oceans to fly. If they have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe. But what do dreams know of boundaries? -Amelia Earhart."

"Happy 115th birthday to Amelia Earhart," posted Christa. "A female pioneer who shattered barriers with her actions!"