Amelia Earhart

Born in 1897 in Atchison, Kansas, Earhart grew up with an adventurous spirit and a fascination with aviation that began after witnessing a stunt plane at a state fair. During World War I, she worked as a nurse’s aid in Canada and she later studied aviation in California, where she earned her pilot’s license in 1923, becoming only the 16th woman in the United States to do so. In 1932, Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. As her Lockheed Vega lifted off the runway, its crisp engine scorched the morning air as mist and began to carry her through the back clouds. Earhart flew for nearly 15 hours, enduring fatigue, mechanical issues, and a variety of storms. Her bold monoplane eventually carried her into the history books, accomplishing what few dared to attempt. In 1937, she attempted to circumnavigate the globe but her journey was cut short when her plane vanished over the Pacific. Her legacy, however, never faded. Today, Earhart is remembered for just where and how long she flew, but for how she made others believe they could reach just as far.

The Wright Brothers - Orville and Wilbur

What does it take to lift human ambition off the ground? Raised in Dayton, Ohio, the Wright brothers grew up in a home filled with curiosity, books, and encouragement from their father, a bishop who nurtured their love of learning. Wilbur and Orville brought hands-on experience working at their print shop, where they primarily repaired printing presses before shifting to bicycles. As their fascination with flight grew, so did their commitment. The Wrights learned how to design, test, and improve machines. Over time, their attention turned skyward. They refined wing shapes as they studied bird flight and tested several control systems, treating the vast sky like a problem they could solve. In 1903, after many years of trial and failure, their homemade aircraft lifted off the ground of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The flight lasted a mere 12 seconds, but opened an entirely new realm of possibilities for the skies. The Wright brothers are remembered today as the inventors of the airplane, and proof that bold ideas, persistence, and two great minds working together can change the course of history.

Bessie Coleman

Forbidden from flying schools in her own country, Bessie Coleman crossed an ocean and a language barrier to take to the skies. Coleman was born in 1892 in Texas, one of thirteen children in a working class Black American and Native American family. As she grew up in the segregated south, she helped support her household through various jobs before discovering her passion for aviation, a dream sparked by stories of World War I pilots. At the time, no American flight school would accept a woman of her background, so Coleman learned French, traveled to France, and attended the Caudron Brothers’ School of Aviation in Le Crotoy. She learned to fly using a Nieuport biplane. In 1921, she became the first Black and Native American woman to earn an international pilot’s license. Upon returning to the United States, Coleman performed various daring stunts at airshows, gaining popularity as she used her platform to challenge restrictions and barriers in the aviation world. She quickly earned the nickname “Queen Bess” for her fearless airshow stunts, doing figure eights and dives that left crowds breathless. She dreamed of opening a flight school for aspiring Black aviators. In 1926, while training for a show, she died in a tragic plane crash at the age of 34, but her legacy soared far beyond the bounds of her own life. Bessie Coleman opened the skies to generations of pilots who had previously been advised to keep their feet planted firmly on the ground.