The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic

An aviation pioneer and a celebrated author, Amelia Mary Earhart became the first aviatrix to fly across the Atlantic Ocean alone. Born on July 24, 1897, Earhart was an adventurer at heart and as she grew up her fascination in flying deepened. Although she had made several record, she will be remembered best for her effort to fly solo across the Atlantic ocean without stopping. She won many accolades for her courage and determination. However her death remains a mystery as Earhart with her navigator Noonan were last seen taking off in her twin-engine Lockheed Electra on July 2, 1937, from Papua New Guinea en route to tiny Howland Island, some 2,500 miles away in the central Pacific. Radio contact with her plane was lost hours later after she reported running low on fuel. Seeking to chronicle Earhart's fate 75 years after she disappeared over the Pacific, researchers prepared to look for wreckage of her airplane near a remote island where they believe she died as a castaway. Oscar-winner Hilary Swank played the role of the aviator in the 2009 Hollywood biopic 'Amelia' directed by Indian-origin filmmaker Mira Nair. Here are a few rare pictures from the aviatrix's life: