Women's History Theme
edHelper.com Subscribers: Click Here to Build a New Printable Version of this Pre-Made Worksheet!
  Return to Women's History Theme

 

Who is this woman?   

Known as one of the world's most celebrated aviators, ____ was born on July 24, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas. The family moved often and she completed high school in Chicago, Illinois in 1916. During World War I she worked as a military nurse in Canada and later taught English to immigrant factory workers. Her studies as a premed student were brief as her attention turned to airplanes.

Against her family's wishes, she learned to fly at the age of 24 and made her first solo flight in 1921. A few months later she purchased her first airplane, a Kinner Canary. Ms. ____ achieved a number of aviation firsts and became known as the "First Lady of the Air". For years aviation had been dominated by men, but ____ challenged gender barriers and influenced women's position in the aviation industry. Her flying career lasted for 16 years.

During those years her love of flying brought her several distinctions. In 1922 she broke the women's altitude record of 14,000 feet. On June 17 and 18, 1928, she became the first woman passenger to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Four years later in 1932, she became the first woman pilot to cross the Atlantic and in doing so set a new time record of 14 hours and 56 minutes. Then in 1935 she flew solo from Hawaii to California -- a feat that had ended in disaster for other pilots. The distance, incidentally, is greater than from the United States to Europe.

Determined to set another "first", she decided to fly around the world in 1937. Her twin engine, propeller driven Lockheed Electra lifted off from Miami, Florida and headed east assisted by high altitude winds. Serving as navigator for this very long flight was Fred Noonan. As they were entering their last one-third of the flight over the Pacific Ocean, the Lockheed vanished somewhere between New Guinea and tiny Howland Island. Attempts then, and even now, to locate the plane, Ms. ____ and Mr. Noonan have been unsuccessful. Their disappearance remains one of the great mysteries of aviation.

____ died doing what she most loved -- and was only a few days from celebrating her 40th birthday.

She was known as "one of the most renowned, outspoken, and daring women of her day."

On July 2, 1937, she and her navigator began the final one-third of their flight around the world, which took them across the Pacific Ocean.

"First Lady of Aviation" and "Lady Lindy" were two nicknames she was given.

Her middle name was ____.

Who is this woman?
     Nancy Ward
     Mary Cassatt
     Amelia Mary Earhart
     Mary Lou Retton
     Maya Lin
     Mary Mcleod Bethune

Copyright © 2003 edHelper.com

 


Answer Key


Sample
This is only a sample worksheet.

If you were a subscriber, the answer key would be here for easy printing.
subscribers: use the link at the top of the page to create a new printable with answers

With just one subscription, you will have access to the math, spelling, vocabulary, and critical thinking worksheets!
Sign up now for the subscriber materials!