Google is commemorating Amelia Earhart's 115th birthday with a Google Doodle depicting the noted American aviator who disappeared while attempting to circumnavigate the world in 1937.
Earhart was born on July 24, 1897, in Atchison, Kansas and was the first woman ever to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
Close to a century after her mysterious disappearance over the Pacific Ocean back on July 2, 1937, people today are still intrigued with her life, career, and the disappearance.
Some of the theories behind Earhart's disappearance include the 'Crash and Sink' theory which is the most widely accepted explanation today and the Gardner Island hypothesis.
Myths and urban legends also surfaced after the enigmatic disappearance occurred with some believing that Earhart was spying on the Japanese in the Pacific at the request of president Franklin Roosevelt, while others claimed Earhart and then partner Noonan were executed by the Japanese who were occupying the island of Saipan where the aircraft supposedly landed. Some others believed that Earhart survived the flight but then returned to mainland USA, acquired a new identity and lived as Irene Craigmile Bolam.
Earhart and Noonan lost radio contact on July 2, 1937 in an attempt to circumnavigate the world.
The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery recently visited the island of Nikamuroro in hopes of finding out what happened to Earhart. They had visited the island before and found items that could have belonged to Earhart, but returned to base without any new developments on the case.
A Navy report from 1937 also describes the island as having signs of "recent habitation."
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