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On this day in history, August 24, 1932, Amelia Earhart becomes first woman to fly solo coast-to-coast

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2 years ago

August 24, 2024

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On this day in history, August 24, 1932, Amelia Earhart becomes first woman to fly solo coast-to-coast

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Aviation trailblazer Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the U.S. nonstop on this day in history, Aug. 24, 1932.

Earhart piloted her Lockheed Vega 5B from Los Angeles to Newark in a record 19 hours and 5 minutes.

The 3,986-kilometer (2,477-mile) flight set an official U.S. record for women’s distance and time, according to the National Air and Space Museum.

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Earhart’s solo, non-stop flight’s average speed for this record-breaking flight was 206.42 kilometers per hour (128.27 miles per hour), and she flew most of the way at an altitude of 3,048 meters (10,000 feet), the same source recounted.

Less than a year later, Earhart would set a new transcontinental speed record, making the same flight in a record 17 hours and 7 minutes, the same source indicated.

Amelia Earhart at the Oakland Airport, March 12, 1937. The pilot disappeared over the Pacific Ocean just four months later. (MediaNews Group/Carl Bigelow, Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)

Then on Jan. 11, 1935, she became the first person to solo fly the 2,408-mile distance across the Pacific between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Oakland, California.

It was also the first flight in which a civilian aircraft carried a two-way radio, according to The Amelia Earhart official website.

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Earhart was born on July 24, 1897, in Atchison, Kansas. Her father was a railroad lawyer, and her mother was from an affluent family.

As a child, she displayed an adventurous and independent nature for which she would later become known, noted Biography.com.

The Earhart family often moved — and while on a visit to her sister in Canada, Earhart developed an interest in caring for soldiers wounded in World War I.

Her first airplane ride in 1920 was an experience that prompted her to take flying lessons.

In 1918, she left junior college to become a nurse’s aide in Toronto, the same source indicated. When the war ended, Earhart entered a premed program at Columbia University in New York City but left in 1920 after her parents insisted that she live with them in California.

“It was there she went on her first airplane ride in 1920, an experience that prompted her to take flying lessons,” cited Biography.com.

In 1921, she bought her first plane, a Kinner Airster, and two years later she earned her pilot’s license, the same source said.

Earhart moved to Massachusetts, where she continued to pursue her interest in aviation.

Amelia Earhart after the first Hawaii-to-California flight, Jan. 12, 1935. She was the first pilot to succeed at flying the route. (Photo by ©CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

Earhart continued to reach new heights in aviation.

On June 17, 1928, she departed Trepassey, Newfoundland, Canada, as a passenger aboard a seaplane piloted by Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon, noted Britannica.com.

Much of the publicity was managed by publisher George Palmer Putnam, who had helped organize the historic flight. The couple married in 1931, but Earhart continued her career under her birth name.

That year she also piloted an autogiro to a record-setting altitude of 18,415 feet, the same source cited.

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In 1930, Earhart purchased the plane that would carry her into history, the iconic red Lockheed 5B Vega she nicknamed “Old Bessie.” It’s been on display at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum since its opening in 1976, according to Popular Mechanics.

In 1930, Earhart purchased the plane that would carry her into history, the iconic red Lockheed 5B Vega she nicknamed “Old Bessie.”

Then, on May 20, 1932, and exactly five years to the date of Lindberg’s journey, she made her own indelible mark — becoming only the second person to pilot a plane solo across the Atlantic and the first woman, the same source recounted.

This flight in her 5B Vega from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, to Londonderry, Northern Ireland was completed in a record time of 14 hours 56 minutes despite a number of challenges.

Earhart faced inclement weather and some mechanical difficulties and was unable to land in her scheduled destination of Paris, Brittancia.com reported.

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Earhart’s fate then turned to tragedy.

On the morning of July 2, 1937, she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, took off from Lae, New Guinea, on one of the last legs in their historic attempt to circumnavigate the globe, History.com reported.

A closeup of Amelia Earhart. Although her plane disappeared on July 2, 1937, she was declared officially deceased on Jan. 5, 1939. (AP)

Their next destination was Howland Island in the central Pacific Ocean, about 2,500 miles away.

But Earhart never landed on Howland Island.

Battling overcast skies, faulty radio transmissions and a rapidly diminishing fuel supply in her twin-engine Lockheed Electra plane, she and Noonan lost contact with somewhere over the Pacific, the same source recounted.

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“Despite a search-and-rescue mission of unprecedented scale, including ships and planes from the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard scouring some 250,000 square miles of ocean, they were never found,” History.com stated.

Her accomplishments and her legacy serve as an inspiration to thousands.

At the time, the Navy concluded that Earhart and Noonan had run out of fuel, crashed into the Pacific and drowned, according to multiple sources. The mystery of her disappearance remains a fixture in popular culture and her fate has been the subject of numerous books and movies.

Although her plane disappeared on July 2, 1937, she was declared officially deceased on Jan. 5, 1939.

Earhart received numerous posthumous honors. She was enshrined in 1968 in the National Aviation Hall of Fame and in 1973 in the National Women’s Hall of Fame, noted the Topeka Capital-Journal.

Her image adorns a 1963 air mail stamp. She’s also the namesake of the USNS Amelia Earhart, a Navy cargo ship launched in 2007, the same source said.

Despite the tragic end to Earhart’s life, her accomplishments and her legacy still serve as an inspiration to thousands of budding young pilots everywhere, noted Britannica.com.

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Denver, CO

Grand Junction, Palisade reach Great Eight in Denver

Published

11 minutes ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Grand Junction, Palisade reach Great Eight in Denver

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — The Class 5A Sweet 16 has arrived, and both Grand Junction and Palisade are still standing with trips to the Great Eight in Denver on the line.

At The Jungle, the No. 2 seed Grand Junction Tigers set the tone early against No. 18 Golden. Defense carried the Tigers from the opening tip as they held the Demons to nine first quarter points while scoring 16 of their own.

Grand Junction added eight points in the second quarter while Golden managed six, sending the Tigers into halftime with a nine point lead.

Golden responded in the third quarter, outscoring Grand Junction 16 to 11 to cut the deficit to five entering the fourth. The Tigers answered in the final period, attacking the rim and converting key shots to win the quarter 19 to 10. Grand Junction secured a 54 to 41 victory to protect its home court and advance to the Great Eight in Denver.

Top seeded Palisade also defended its home floor with a trip to Denver at stake. The Bulldogs opened with nine straight points to energize a packed gym, but Frederick settled in and closed the first quarter on a run to tie the game at nine.

Frederick continued to respond in the second quarter and took an eight point lead into halftime.

Palisade shifted momentum after the break. The Bulldogs tightened defensively, holding Frederick to 21 points in the second half while scoring 39 of their own. Palisade completed the comeback to advance to the Great Eight.

Colorado Mesa University Women Deliver Historic RMAC Tournament Win

In collegiate action, the top seeded Colorado Mesa University women’s basketball team defeated Colorado School of Mines 96 to 51 in the RMAC Tournament, marking the largest margin of victory in the tournament this century.

Olivia Reed-Thyne led the Mavericks with 34 points on 11 of 15 shooting, her third 30 point performance this season. Mason Rowland added 22 points and Hallie Clark contributed 10 as Colorado Mesa matched a program record with its 31st win. The Mavericks will host the semifinals Friday with a berth in the championship game at stake.

Colorado Mesa University Men Survive Overtime Thriller

The Colorado Mesa University men’s basketball team faced New Mexico Highlands University for the third time this season. The Mavericks scored 36 first half points and led by four at the break.

New Mexico Highlands shot 50 percent in the second half, received 21 bench points and outscored Colorado Mesa 43 to 39 to force a late push. With the season in the balance, Ty Allred hit a game tying 3 pointer to make it 75 and send the game to overtime. Allred scored seven points in the extra period as Colorado Mesa earned a 91 to 90 victory to advance to the next round.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle leaders mark 100 days until FIFA World Cup with artwork, security plans

Published

17 minutes ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Seattle leaders mark 100 days until FIFA World Cup with artwork, security plans

The countdown to the FIFA World Cup hit a milestone Tuesday, approximately 100 days from the start of the global soccer tournament, which is being played this time in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Seattle is one of 16 host cities for the tournament, with the first game at Lumen Field scheduled for June 15.

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City leaders at a press conference on Tuesday described specific changes underway to welcome an estimated 750,000 people during the six matches, from adding new artwork in downtown to bolstering security.

“Our aim is actually to revitalize, reinvigorate, rejuvenate the downtown core,” Seattle World Cup Organizing Committee CEO Peter Tomozawa stated.

People who take a trip through downtown Seattle will see that part of that work has started in anticipation of the World Cup, with 53 colorful paintings on the columns of the monorail, showcasing the flags of the countries of the competing teams.

“In just 100 days, people will come back to Seattle and will be using the system to travel back and forth to various events related to [the] FIFA World Cup,” Seattle Monorail Services Megan Ching said.

“The visitors who are coming here for the World Cup are already booking their trips: where to stay, how to get around and what to explore,” added Jorge Gotuzzo with Visit Seattle.

Darkalinos restaurant hopes the events planned for Pioneer Square will convince new customers to return beyond the tournament.

“The summer season is what keeps us going,” General Manager Crystal Hernandez told KOMO News. “We’re going to have a beer garden in the plaza. There will be some live music outside.”

Behind the scenes, work continues to plan for crowd control and security. That means round table meetings and partnerships at the international, federal, state and local levels.

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“We’ve been working on the security plan for over three years,” Tomozawa explained. “We hired former SPD Chief John Diaz to design the plan and I have to say this is one of our highest priorities, for sure.”

Downtown Seattle Association President and CEO Jon Scholes adds that businesses are eager to build on the success of the recent Seahawks Super Bowl parade. He said there will be watch parties for the matches at Westlake, Pacific Place and along the waterfront.

“Seattle’s a big event town, and we can do it well and produce a lot of joy for hundreds of thousands of people,” Scholes stated.

The World Cup Organizing Committee mentioned Seattle’s walkability makes it a great location for the tournament. It’s why they also announced a new walking path to connect multiple neighborhoods that will stay beyond the summer.

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It’s called the Unity Loop, runs about four-and-a-quarter miles and will connect the stadiums, waterfront, Seattle Center, Westlake and the CID, but no specifics were provided.

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San Diego, CA

SD Unified moves forward with layoffs of classified employees

Published

23 minutes ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

SD Unified moves forward with layoffs of classified employees

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Less than 3 weeks after the San Diego Unified School District finalized a new contract with teachers, the school board voted unanimously on Tuesday to move forward with layoff notices for other district employees.

The layoffs affect classified employees — workers who are employed by the district but are not teachers and are not certified. That includes bus drivers, custodians, special education and teacher aides, and cafeteria workers.

The district says it is eliminating 221 positions — 133 that are currently filled and 88 that are vacant — to save $19 million and help address a projected $47 million deficit for the next fiscal year.

Preliminary layoff notices will go out on March 15, with final notices by May 15.

The district estimates about 200 classified employees will receive preliminary notices, but of them, about 70 are expected to lose their jobs based on union-negotiated bumping rules.

Bumping allows employees with more seniority to move into another position in the same classification, thereby “bumping” a less senior employee out of that role.

Lupe Murray, an early childhood special education parafacilitator with the district, said the news came as a shock after the teacher strike was called off.

“When the strike was called off, I’m like, ‘Yes!’ So then when I got the email from the Superintendent, I’m like, ‘Wait, what?’ So, I think everyone was shocked,” Murray said.

The district says it sends out annual layoff notices, as all districts in the state do.

Before Tuesday’s board meeting, classified employees rallied outside, made up of CSEA (California School Employees Association) Chapters OTBS 788, Paraeducators 759, and OSS 724. They were joined by parents, students, and the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

Miguel Arellano, a paraeducator independence facilitator with San Diego Unified and a representative of San Diego Paraeducators Cahpter 759.

“What do we want? No layoffs! When do we want it? Now!” the crowd chanted.

Arellano said he felt compelled to act when he learned about the potential layoffs.

“The first thing that went through my mind was that I need to speak up. I need to protect these people,” Arellano said.

Inside the meeting, the board heard emotional, at times tearful testimony from classified employees before voting unanimously to move forward with the layoff schedule.

Superintendent Fabi Bagula said the district has tried to protect classrooms from the cuts.

“We have tried our best to only, I mean, to not touch the school. Or the classroom. But now it’s at the point where it’s getting a little bit harder,” Bagula said. “What I’m still hoping, or what I’m still working toward, because we’re still in negotiations, is that we’re able to actually come to a win-win, where there’s positions and availability and maybe even promotions for folks that are impacted.”

Arellano warned the layoffs could have a direct impact on students.

“We are already spread thin, so, with more of a case load, it’s going to be impossible to be able to service all the students that we need to have,” Arellano said.

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