Amelia Earhart
The pilot who landed on an asteroid.
Statues, films, stamp collections and even Joni Mitchell songs have been named after the famous fly-girl of the 1930s. But nothing is quite as glamorous as having an asteroid named after you. Out there in the infinity of space, Earhart 3895 Asteroid is circling the sun at a 30,000 miles-per-hour, looking for a safe landing. She (it) was discovered in 1987 by an American Astronomer, a fitting trophy for a life that flashed by quickly and disappeared without a trace.
The Amelia Earhart legend goes something like this: On July 2,1937, after completing nearly two-thirds of her historic around-the-world flight, Earhart, along with navigator Frederick Noonan, disappeared off the face of the earth. A massive naval, air and land search failed to locate Earhart or the aircraft, and it was assumed they were lost at sea. To this day, their fate is the subject of unending speculation. Some theorized the pair ran out of fuel and had to ditch in the Pacific. Others speculated capture by the Japanese, accused of espionage, then held as a bargaining chip in the event war erupted between the U.S. and Japan.
Whatever became of mighty Amelia, her bravery, smarts and style inspired men and women to far greater heights. If a giant asteroid ever hits the earth, lets hope its ‘Earhart 3896’.
She was swallowed by the sky
Or by the sea like me she had a dream to fly
Like Icarus ascending
On beautiful foolish arms
Amelia it was just a false alarm”
Joni Mitchell
Other damn things Ameila had named after her:
A Wildlife Sanctuary in Ireland. The ‘Earhart Tree’ in Hilo, Hawaii. The Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship Awards. A navigation beacon, The Earhart Light, on Howland Island. The Earhart Scholarship at Purdue University. A warship, The SS Amelia Earhart, built by the USA during World War II. Amelia Earhart Airport located in Atchison, Kansas. Amelia Earhart Commemorative Stamp, issued in 1963 by the United States Postmaster- General. Earhart Foundation, in Ann Arbor. The Amelia Earhart Festival, Kandas. The Amelia Earhart Bridge, Kansas. Amelia Earhart bronze statue, Colarado. The Amelia Earhart General Aviation Terminal. Amelia Earhart Dam on the Mystic River. Amelia Earhart Playhouse, at Wiesbaden Army Airfield.
Text by Howard Collinge- The Unique Creatures
