Amelia Earhart was a famous pilot. Many know her from a mystery. Earhart disappeared while trying to fly around the world in 1937. But before she vanished, the flyer made history. In 1928, Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. The pilot kept soaring through the skies. And now, a statue in her honor has landed in Washington, D.C.!
Officials Earhart’s sculpture on Wednesday. It stands 7 feet (2.1) tall at the U.S. Capitol. The figure is part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. That group features two statues from each state. Earhart was born in Kansas in 1897. Her figure represents that state. It is the collection’s 11th statue featuring a woman.
Sharice Davids is a U.S. Representative for Kansas. She spoke at the . “I am really excited,” Davids shared. She called Earhart “a true Kansas hero.”
Earhart earned her way into the collection. She fought for women’s . Earhart supported the Equal Rights Amendment. That was a suggested law. It aimed to give all Americans equal rights no matter their gender.
The pilot helped women in as well. Earhart took her first flying lesson in 1921. She saved up money. Then she bought her first plane. Earhart broke her first flying record for women in that plane. She flew it to 14,000 feet (4,267 m)!
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke about Earhart on Wednesday as well. She said that the pilot’s statue will inspire boys and girls. Pelosi added: “And when they see this statue, they will hear the sound of wings.”
Updated July 29, 2022, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Alexa Tirapelli
