Amelia Earhart was one of the first women to fly an airplane. She was brave and daring. Her younger sister Muriel, was a very proper young lady, unlike Amelia, who often wore pants instead of a dress. When they were little, Amelia wanted a roller coaster so much. Amelia got together a group of girls and made a roller coaster out of plank boards, nails and a scooter in the Earhart's back yard. None of the other girls were brave enough to go down the roller coaster, so Amelia was the guinea pig, or tester. The first time Amelia tried it was not successful. It broke when she was almost to the bottom. That did not let Amelia's courage fall, she kept on trying until she was successful. That's just the way she was. She would not let people tell her what to do. She set a lot of aviation records, like highest altitude for a woman, and first woman solo flight across the Atlantic. That was where she got her nickname, "Lady Lindy." It was Charles Lindbergh who was the first person to cross the Atlantic by plane.  There was one record she almost completed and that is the one she was most famous for. That was first person to fly around the world. She had almost completed her journey, but on the last leg of her trip she had to land on one of the smallest islands in the world. That island was called Howland Island. She was missing hours after she was supposed to land on the island. Days later she was pronounced dead. No one knows if she really died. Some people think she was spying for the United States, and they did not want anyone to know that so they faked her death. Others believe she was kidnapped by the Chinese who at the time were ready for war with America. No one is really sure. Her life is an unsolved mystery.
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