1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you missed in History Class from housetof 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast Time 3 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 1: to Blame a Chalk Reboarding. And some big stories from 4 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: history just never really seemed to go away, And the 5 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: story of famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart and her mysterious disappearances 6 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: truly one of those stories about studies or research regarding 7 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 1: her disappearance just seemed to pop up all the time, 8 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: some seventy five years now after she navigator fred Noon 9 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: and vanished over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to circumnavigate 10 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,239 Speaker 1: the globe along the equator. And I actually wrote a 11 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 1: blog to this effect about a year ago, when it 12 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 1: seemed that several new possible clues or potential leads in 13 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: this mystery emerged around the same time. It was really crazy. 14 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: It was like four new stories came out within a 15 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: couple of weeks. I remember that, And at the time, 16 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: none of the clues really seemed to offer any real 17 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: resolution to the mystery. Of course, and this year seems 18 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: to be just as busy though on the Amelia it 19 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:08,680 Speaker 1: really yeah, it really does. And in March, for example, 20 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: of the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery announced that 21 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: they'd be launching an expedition this very summer, a renewed 22 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:20,839 Speaker 1: effort to find air Hearts plane. And this expedition, which 23 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: is privately funded, was very big news, you know, going 24 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: out there finally trying to find this plane, and it's 25 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: been backed by Hillary Clinton, advised by uh the Titanic 26 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: discoverer Bob Ballard, and filmed as a documentary by the 27 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: Discovery Channel too. So in light of the excitement surrounding 28 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: this new expedition and the fact that we've been covering 29 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: female aviators this year anyway, we thought it might be 30 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 1: a great time to take another look at an episode 31 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: that Candice and Katie did in two thousand nine. This 32 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: episode gives some great insight into Earhart's life and also 33 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: presents some interesting theories about her disappearance. So take a 34 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: listen right now to that episode. We don't want to 35 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: give it all away before they get a chance to 36 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: tell you what it's all about. And then we'll share 37 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: some of the new clues that have emerged in just 38 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:11,359 Speaker 1: the past few weeks. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 39 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: I'm editor Candice Keener, joined by fellow editor Katie Lambert. Hello, 40 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: Candice side there, Katie. I conducted some very surprising research 41 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,119 Speaker 1: this week. Was it on Lady Lyndy, Queen of the Air. 42 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: It was Amelia Earhart, who I think most of us 43 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: hold in our minds as an iconic figure in American 44 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: history and world history. Really of um of a very 45 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: strong and determined and capable woman, the sixteenth woman in 46 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: the entire world. We granted her pilot's license in fact, 47 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 1: and I learned that there are some factors which may 48 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: explain her disappearance that color her in a slightly different light. 49 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: And that's not to say that we're not going to 50 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: celebrate Amlia air Heart, because we certainly are. I think 51 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: you'll learn a thing or two just like I did. 52 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,919 Speaker 1: So maybe we'll start at her beginnings, which are rather humble. Um. 53 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 1: She was a Kansas girl born in Her father was 54 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:13,519 Speaker 1: a lawyer for the railroad. Um. She ended up being 55 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: a nurse's aid and a military hospital in Toronto, and 56 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: she was actually premed for a while at Columbia, which 57 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: surprised me because who knew, But she was only there 58 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: for a semester when she was just ten years old. 59 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: She was at a state fair when she really had 60 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:33,679 Speaker 1: her interest kindled in flying, watching the planes swooping overhead 61 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 1: and rushing past her and staring up the wind. She 62 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: realized that she wanted to do that too, and that 63 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 1: ambition was cemented in her mind in December of nineteen 64 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: twenty when the pilot Frank Hawks invited her on his 65 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: plane for a flight, and she thought that this is 66 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: what I'm going to do. So she bought her first 67 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: plane in nineteen It was yellow and she named it Canary, 68 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: and she had flying lessons from Nita's Snook, who was 69 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: also one of the foremost female eight years of the day, 70 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: because there weren't many, and a critic has said that 71 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 1: here was a turning point for the Amelia Hurt story 72 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: for me at least, was that SnO didn't think that 73 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:18,039 Speaker 1: Amelia was necessarily skilled enough to become a pilot. Perhaps 74 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: her ambitions and enthusiasm outweighed her skill. And in some 75 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,119 Speaker 1: cases that certainly compensates, and it makes up for something 76 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: you're not entirely good at. But for an activity as 77 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: precisest flying, of course, you need to have all of 78 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: your little ducks in a row. So Snooke maybe thought 79 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: she had the drive, but not the talent exactly, but 80 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: that didn't stop her from trying now. And her first lesson, 81 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:44,040 Speaker 1: I like this fact was twenty minutes long in snooks 82 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 1: World War one canuck um, and she charged her sins 83 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: per minute snocks connect. He really couldn't make this gunnuck yet. 84 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: Early in her career she established her prowess in the 85 00:04:56,240 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: sky by setting records for speed and altitude, and she 86 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: became very slowly but really a huge celebrity in the 87 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: aviation world. She was the first female passenger on the 88 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: Fokker Friendship. They flew from Newfoundland to Wales, and it 89 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: was a big deal because a publicist named George Putnam 90 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 1: was the one who set her up for this, and 91 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: originally he had been looking for someone else, but that 92 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 1: woman ended up not being able to take her place, 93 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: and Amelia was totally gung ho to go for this trip. 94 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 1: And also in nine it was a big year for her. 95 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: She was the first woman to make a solo return 96 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: transcontinental flight and as far as her position on the 97 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:42,600 Speaker 1: Friendship flights with Wilmer Stultz and Slim Gordon. For them, 98 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: it was old hats this type of transatlantic voyage. But 99 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 1: Putnam was a publicist as much as a publisher, and 100 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: he was trying to put a new spin on it. 101 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: It was the first time that a woman was on board, 102 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 1: and she was given the title commander to lend her 103 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 1: a sense of prestige. But Amelia was always very clear 104 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: and very adamant about the fact that she didn't do 105 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: anything on this flight. She was merely there for company, 106 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:08,359 Speaker 1: and one could guess too that she was watching and 107 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: observing and learning what exactly people do to conduct themselves 108 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: on these long flights. And later when she would do 109 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: solo trips, she would remark that the company she kept 110 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 1: for the celestial bodies in the sky, it was some 111 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:24,159 Speaker 1: of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen when I 112 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 1: think she also felt a little bit guilty about getting 113 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: so famous for something where she wasn't really doing anything, 114 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: and that gave her the urge to prove herself exactly. 115 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: And not only the urge, it also gave her a 116 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: bunch of endorsement deals because she needed money to continue 117 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 1: on with her flight career Lucky Strikes cigarettes for one 118 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 1: for one. Uh. She went on to add another impressive 119 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: feat to her resume, and that was helping to organize 120 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: the Woman's Air Derby and becoming a founding member and 121 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:56,359 Speaker 1: president of the ninety nine. And the ninety nine was 122 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 1: a woman's aviation group, and this was sort of a 123 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 1: post suffrage effort to get women to organize and explore 124 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: their other interests. And as women were gaining ground in 125 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: the aviation industry, they found they didn't have a lot 126 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: of support from their male cohorts. It was seen as 127 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 1: it was seen as a men's world, and they wanted 128 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: in and so by offering each other support and sharing 129 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: industry news, they could better gain ground, get a better foothold. 130 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: And one of my favorite things that the ninety nine did, 131 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 1: and I should mention too, that the name ninety nine 132 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 1: was Amelia's idea because when they put out a call 133 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: for interested parties, women answered anyway. They campaign to overturn 134 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 1: the government proposal that would ban women from flying when 135 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 1: they were men's struating. Fair enough, yes, And I'm just 136 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: gonna leave it at that, just a fine historical fact 137 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: for everyone. They're still around for the record, I think 138 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: more than five thousand members today and they note on 139 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 1: their website that most women who have achieved great things 140 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 1: in aviation have been a member of the ninety nine. 141 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 1: So during this time with her involvement with the ninety 142 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: nines and her speaking engagements, she was also writing for 143 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: Cosmopolitan magazine and for other publications, and she was actually 144 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: the aviation editor or aviation writer for Cosmo. And I'm 145 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: I don't think we have that, No, I don't think so. 146 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: I think it was a much different uh iteration of 147 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 1: the magazine back in that day. But in Nive she 148 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 1: was appointed to a consulting position at Purdue University. More 149 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: women were starting to have careers of their own, and 150 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 1: she became an advisor to them, which I think is 151 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: really significant. And it's interesting to note that despite her 152 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 1: own ambitions, Amelia Earhardt was also and approachable and disarming 153 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: enough woman that other young woman would feel comfortable seeking 154 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 1: her counsel. I think that speaks a lot about her character, 155 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:51,959 Speaker 1: and at this point, I think too she was also 156 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: a bit of a style icon. And I know we 157 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:56,839 Speaker 1: always like fashion throughout history, but she had the leather 158 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:02,719 Speaker 1: jackets and close cropped hair, um silk ties and scarves, 159 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 1: and people thought she was she was sassy. She was. 160 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: You can stay pictures on the official Amelia air Heart 161 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 1: Museum website and plenty of other famed websites out there 162 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 1: of her wearing her her tight fitting pants and her 163 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: boots and the scarf tied around her neck. She was really, 164 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 1: really classic. I think she even had a clothing line. 165 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: I know she had a luggage line. Wow, I did 166 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:25,440 Speaker 1: not know that. But in the meantime, even before perdue, 167 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:28,439 Speaker 1: in nineteen thirty two, she was the first woman to 168 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 1: fly solo across the Atlantic. She landed in Ireland, and 169 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 1: I think that's when she finally felt like, yeah, she'd 170 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: really done something. And she also got the Distinguished Flying 171 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 1: Cross that year, and she was also recognized by President 172 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:45,439 Speaker 1: Herbert Hoover with the National Geographic Society Gold Medal. So 173 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 1: attention and awards and praise is being showered upon her, 174 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,839 Speaker 1: and she's nearing her fortieth birthday. And at this time 175 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: she's actually married to George Putnam. She rejected him six 176 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: times used for the record before they ever got married. 177 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 1: We should know too that he was actually married when 178 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 1: they began touring together and helping to endorse her career together, 179 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 1: but he was granted divorce in so by thirty one 180 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 1: he and Amelia were an item and he read her 181 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: a very interest. She wrote him excuse me a very 182 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 1: interesting letter where she said, I shall not hold you 183 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 1: to any medieval code of faithfulness um to me, nor 184 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: shall I consider myself bound to you similarly, and then 185 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:29,199 Speaker 1: went on to say that if she thought they were honest, 186 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: they could avoid any difficulties if one or the other 187 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 1: of them became to attract it to someone else. So 188 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:36,440 Speaker 1: she knew what she was getting into. She did, and 189 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 1: she called the marriage a partnership with dual control and 190 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: kept her own name. She did, and George recognized that 191 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: for her to keep her celebrity index high, she needed 192 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:56,200 Speaker 1: another big flying stunt, and nearing her fourtie birthday, she 193 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 1: was ready to become the first woman to fly solo 194 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 1: or around the world. And flying solo around the world 195 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: had already been accomplished by Charles Lindbergh, but she wanted 196 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: to show that a woman could do it too, And 197 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 1: as a matter of fact, she chose a course that 198 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 1: wrapped as tightly around the equator as possible, which extended 199 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: the journey just a bit and also took it through 200 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: some more difficult to rain the Pacific Islands, in particular, 201 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: as we'll soon learn, we're quite challenging navigate. So she 202 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:31,600 Speaker 1: started in nineteen seven on this trip and flew from 203 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: California to Hawaii, but a tire blue when they landed 204 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: in Hawaii, which sort of put their plans on hold 205 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 1: for a little bit. The plane had to be shipped 206 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: back to California to be fixed, and she had been 207 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:46,320 Speaker 1: flying in the Lockheed Vega, but switched to the Lockheed Electra, 208 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 1: which is better suited for long distance flying. They had 209 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:53,200 Speaker 1: to restart her journey in Miami. They decided instead they 210 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 1: just go the totally other way this time, since they 211 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 1: had already publicized it well, and plus the winds were 212 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 1: more favorable in the opposite direction. But they didn't want 213 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 1: anyone to know that they were actually having to fly 214 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:06,440 Speaker 1: there repaired plane from California to Miami, so they just 215 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: didn't make any announcements on that, right, And looking back 216 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:12,680 Speaker 1: now with the historian's I you know, you could say 217 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 1: it was it was a prophetic bad start, and that 218 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:18,640 Speaker 1: you know, this maybe was one clue, because there are 219 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 1: some sources that say that it was her handling of 220 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: the plane that caused it to scrape its belly across 221 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:29,959 Speaker 1: the runway into crash. And even though there wasn't a fire, 222 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 1: it was very badly damaged. Perhaps it was nerves, I 223 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 1: don't know. But she also had on board a man who, 224 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 1: again some critics say was not the best navigation advisor. 225 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: This was Frederick Noonan, and he had formerly worked with 226 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 1: Pacific Flight Navigation, but had reportedly been let go from 227 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 1: his previous job for being a little bit too drunk 228 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:56,319 Speaker 1: at work. Sometimes. Again, some of this is based on 229 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:59,680 Speaker 1: historical hearsay, but a lot of historical sources do say 230 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:03,720 Speaker 1: that his method of navigation, which was to your celestial positioning, 231 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: couldn't be relied upon entirely for around the world flight. 232 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:13,839 Speaker 1: Imagine using just the heavens and the sky to guide you. Well, 233 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:16,360 Speaker 1: what do you do when it's cloudy? Exactly? And I 234 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 1: sh'll see that was a big downfall, and so pictures 235 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:23,199 Speaker 1: were back in Miami. We've got we should be feeling 236 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:25,599 Speaker 1: a little bit nervous at this point with that background, 237 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:27,719 Speaker 1: and we've already had an accident on the trip. We've 238 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 1: got fred Noonan, who were not entirely sure about and 239 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: they take off and eventually end up in New Guinea 240 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 1: on June nine. And we should note that despite these 241 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: omnus factors they've been doing swingly, I mean absolutely great. 242 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 1: This was a trip that was going to be about 243 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: twenty nine thousand miles and they only had seven thousand 244 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: left to go. They knocked out a substantial amount of 245 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: the mileage. I mean we're talking about crossing over South 246 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: America and Africa and India and Asia Australia, and it 247 00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 1: was very carefully tarted us to where they would stop 248 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 1: and refuel. And their next stop was Howland Island, Holland Island, 249 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 1: which is more than I think miles away from where 250 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 1: they were, and how An Island is more of a 251 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:16,560 Speaker 1: toll than An Islands teeny tiny uh it's about a 252 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:20,240 Speaker 1: mile and a half long, a half mile across, and 253 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 1: she wasn't even going to be able to uh get 254 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 1: the island exactly without the help of the U. S. 255 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,240 Speaker 1: Coast Guard. So she had plans to meet this US 256 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: Coastguard cutter in the Ataska nearby who would help give 257 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 1: her exact coordinates and refuel her and allow her to 258 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:40,040 Speaker 1: rest for a while. So they take off on July 259 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: two for the Hollan Island and that's when things start 260 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:48,600 Speaker 1: to go terribly horribly wrong. The last positive sighting of 261 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:53,320 Speaker 1: them was over the New Kumanu Islands by the Atasca, 262 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 1: and the Atasca was attempting to communicate with Amelia and 263 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 1: Frederick with a two way radio. Amelia didn't know Morse code, 264 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: she wasn't comfortable using it, and furthermore, she didn't necessarily 265 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 1: have all the equipment that she did need. She had 266 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 1: an antenna, and she had radio equipment that operated on 267 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 1: a certain frequency, but the frequency she was using wasn't 268 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: the same one necessarily that the coast Guard was using, 269 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: and even when they did get on the right frequency, 270 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 1: they didn't seem to be getting each other's messages. She 271 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: couldn't hear them, and her last message to them, I 272 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 1: think um or what's usually recorded as the last message, 273 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: said we must be on you, but cannot see you, 274 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:35,720 Speaker 1: but gas is running low. Have been unable to reach 275 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 1: you by radio. We're flying at a thousand feet and 276 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 1: the coast Guard couldn't get her to switch to Morse code, 277 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 1: which they preferred to communicate. It was much more exact because, 278 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 1: like you said, she didn't have the capability to get 279 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 1: the messages, she didn't have the right equipment. So essentially 280 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: the two parties are in Communicato. At this point, conditions 281 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 1: are incredibly overcast, so noon In isn't able to help 282 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 1: guide them. And then nothing, absolutely nothing. We're not quite 283 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 1: sure what happened, but of course, you know, the United 284 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:13,520 Speaker 1: States went into a bit of a panic because here 285 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: was their aviation Darling gone, either drowned at sea or 286 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 1: washed up on some remote beach. And there was a 287 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:27,680 Speaker 1: very very extensive rescue attempt undertaken, the biggest one yet. Yeah, 288 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 1: four million dollars, and it covered about two thousand square 289 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 1: miles in ocean, and it was called off in July 290 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 1: ninety seven. And here's the real kicker for me. This 291 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: is so interesting because Amelia Earhart was officially declared dead 292 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: on January five, nineteen thirty nine, and Noonon was declared 293 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: dead in June. Of night. We didn't want to give up, hope. 294 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 1: They didn't, right, They really didn't want to let her go. 295 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: And she was the golden girl, right and Putnam too, 296 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:58,400 Speaker 1: I mean, that was his wife out there, and she 297 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: had written to him before she even on this monumental voyage. 298 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:04,760 Speaker 1: Please know, I am quite aware of the hazards. I 299 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,239 Speaker 1: want to do it. Because I want to do it. 300 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:10,439 Speaker 1: Women must try to do things as men have tried. 301 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:13,640 Speaker 1: When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge 302 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:17,480 Speaker 1: to others. So that brings us to what exactly did 303 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 1: happen to Amelia Earhart? And there are several theories out there, 304 00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:26,440 Speaker 1: and some of them are are much more conspiracy theory 305 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 1: like than based in some sort of evidentiary fact. And 306 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:32,879 Speaker 1: we're going to cover as many as we can and 307 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,639 Speaker 1: as many as we were able to happen upon no 308 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:39,399 Speaker 1: coromintended there. One of the most famous is probably that 309 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 1: she was captured by the Japanese and that she was 310 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:45,879 Speaker 1: taken to Sarpan and put to death, and that she 311 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 1: was actually a spy for the Japanese. Actually, that was 312 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 1: quite a common rumor at the time, because you have 313 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:52,840 Speaker 1: to remember to put it in context that this is 314 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:56,200 Speaker 1: when there's very much a policy of isolationism and people 315 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: not wanting the United States to get involved in World 316 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:02,360 Speaker 1: War Two. There was a lot of controversy over that 317 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:05,119 Speaker 1: and the idea that she was flying halfway across the world, 318 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,400 Speaker 1: well maybe she was by and some have even gone 319 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: as far as to say that she was captured by 320 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: the Japanese and she became Tokyo Rose isn't that interesting? 321 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 1: And her husband George, listened to recordings of Tokyo Rose 322 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,920 Speaker 1: and said that the voice was not Amelia's. And one 323 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:25,199 Speaker 1: of the other theories, um was that she survived the crash, 324 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 1: she and Noon and both and just went to live 325 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: on one of the islands until they starved to death, 326 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:34,639 Speaker 1: which it's very sad to think about, but it was 327 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:39,040 Speaker 1: likely more possible than becoming Tokyo Rose. Right precisely. Other 328 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:42,359 Speaker 1: reports say that she was living in a disguised type 329 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:45,760 Speaker 1: of retirement after all of these supposed admissions for the 330 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:48,120 Speaker 1: government or else, trying to find out a graceful way 331 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:51,719 Speaker 1: to back out of this very celebrated career. And she 332 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:54,880 Speaker 1: was either in Chicago or she was in New York 333 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 1: under the pseudonym Irene Bolom. And this name is significant. 334 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:02,159 Speaker 1: It was spposed to represent, I believe, the latitude and 335 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: longitude where she was supposed of the name of a 336 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:09,480 Speaker 1: beach where she was supposed to have landed. I don't 337 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:14,400 Speaker 1: even quite understand how that works. But um, poorin Balm, 338 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:16,880 Speaker 1: she swore up and down, no I am not Amelia 339 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:20,640 Speaker 1: Earhart and sued them eventually. Right, they were publishers who 340 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,480 Speaker 1: put together a book based on this theory, and Bolm 341 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 1: was having no part of it, and a lot of 342 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 1: people thought in general that it was a staged accident, 343 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: that that was her point all along, and it was, 344 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,399 Speaker 1: you know, her way out of that way of life, right, 345 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:39,240 Speaker 1: And so her sister actually stated, uh, this is Muriel 346 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:44,200 Speaker 1: Earhart Morrissey. That she inquired directly to the Japanese government, 347 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:46,960 Speaker 1: do you have my sister? And the answer was a 348 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 1: very strong no, we don't. And she held the belief 349 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:53,159 Speaker 1: that the plane just simply ran out of fuel and 350 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 1: it crashed unto the bottom of the ocean. And that's 351 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:59,359 Speaker 1: the most accepted theory now, the crash and sink theory, 352 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 1: I believe, I call it, which is pretty self explanatory, right. 353 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 1: And it is believable to think that her plane crashed 354 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:09,399 Speaker 1: and that a four million dollar search effort at the 355 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:13,159 Speaker 1: time could not recover the wreckage, because in order to 356 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: find the wreckage, they would have had to have searched 357 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 1: about seventeen thousand feet deep in the ocean. And keep 358 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 1: in mind, if she's around the Pacific Islands, there would 359 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:25,359 Speaker 1: have been debris from other ships from World War Two, 360 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:29,560 Speaker 1: So in order to identify Amelia Earhart's plane. Not only 361 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 1: would wreckage have to be located, but search crews would 362 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: have had to have found the exact serial number that 363 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:40,520 Speaker 1: matched her playing and search and rescue efforts at the 364 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:44,159 Speaker 1: time were very They weren't based on as much science 365 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 1: as we have now. I mean, you'd have to be 366 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 1: thinking about stuff like currents and the weather conditions at 367 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 1: the time. And to be fair, they weren't even entirely 368 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 1: sure where she was going. They think she got knocked 369 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:58,679 Speaker 1: off course by a few by several miles actually, but 370 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:01,399 Speaker 1: who knows. They just have that last radio transmission, so 371 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:04,920 Speaker 1: there were several hours between then and probably when she crashed. 372 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 1: There are two interesting academic theories that I wanted to 373 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:12,480 Speaker 1: discuss because both of them come with a lot of 374 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:16,199 Speaker 1: evidentiary support, and they're pretty interesting, and they suggest that 375 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:19,280 Speaker 1: the plane went down in different locations. And the first 376 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 1: is from the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, who 377 00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: thinks that after she couldn't get in touch with the ATASCA, 378 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 1: she turned her plane southeast and flew toward Gardner Island. 379 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 1: And this is a considerably larger tract of land, right, 380 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: and it's pretty topographically distinct there's a large lagoon in 381 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: the middle and an interesting landmark too erect freighter, so 382 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,600 Speaker 1: she could have seen this island and thought maybe that 383 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 1: was the Atasca. Well, there you go, and there was 384 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 1: plenty of room to land, so she could have brought 385 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:53,439 Speaker 1: her plane safely down on the beach. And if the 386 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 1: plane went down on the beach and she and Noonan 387 00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:00,439 Speaker 1: walked inland just a little bit, it would explain some 388 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:03,800 Speaker 1: strange radio messages that were picked up that came at 389 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 1: hours intervals of each other, and it was a voice 390 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 1: that sounded similar to Amelia's, trying to help give some 391 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:14,919 Speaker 1: geographical bearings and trying to give some direction as to 392 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:18,160 Speaker 1: where she could be found. And if they came hours apart, 393 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:21,560 Speaker 1: that might be because as the tide came in on 394 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 1: Gardner Island, the plane would get covered by water, and 395 00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 1: in order to power the radio from the plane's right engine, 396 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:29,440 Speaker 1: she had to wait for the tide to go out, 397 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,399 Speaker 1: which makes perfect sense, I think, and it's a really 398 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: interesting theory it does. And a search of the island 399 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: turned up airplane debris, a skeleton and a woman's shoe, 400 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 1: and the skeleton was examined and at first I was 401 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:51,840 Speaker 1: identified as an older Polynesian man, no, not Amelia, and 402 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:55,680 Speaker 1: then another inquiry said that it was probably a European man, 403 00:22:56,560 --> 00:23:00,040 Speaker 1: and then the skeleton was lost, but an examination of 404 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 1: the notes said that it was actually a tallish woman 405 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: of European descent, somewhere between about five ft five five 406 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: ft nine that actually could have been Amelia. And then 407 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: other searches turned out cigarette lighters which Noonan smoked so 408 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:21,480 Speaker 1: it could have been his, a man's shoe, and plexiglass 409 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: debris that matched era hearts planes windows. You have to 410 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:28,200 Speaker 1: wonder what happened to that skeleton. I know, I know well, 411 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:30,879 Speaker 1: and this information seems pretty convincing. So I was pretty 412 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:33,480 Speaker 1: much sold on Gardner Island, and then I read about 413 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:37,119 Speaker 1: until I read about this other theory, which is that 414 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:41,760 Speaker 1: in Australian soldiers on the island of New Britain were 415 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 1: tracing through the jungle and they found wreckage of a 416 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 1: plane and it was practically overgrown by all the foliage. 417 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: It was so done so they could barely get to it, 418 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 1: but they managed to get a piece of the plane 419 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: and a map that they found near it, which had 420 00:23:57,359 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: some numbers written on it. Six hp as three H 421 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 1: one C n ten fifty five, and these numbers actually 422 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:07,679 Speaker 1: correspond to the construction horsepower and number of engines on 423 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:12,680 Speaker 1: air Hearts plane. So I don't know. I don't want 424 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:14,639 Speaker 1: to make a judgment. I'm not here to analyze. I'm 425 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:17,520 Speaker 1: here to offer the facts because we don't know the answer. 426 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:19,960 Speaker 1: And that's the cool thing. They're all these fascinating loose 427 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:23,960 Speaker 1: ends that may never actually be solved for us historical 428 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:28,200 Speaker 1: mystery for sure, but also it's it's nice to remember 429 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:33,680 Speaker 1: Amelia not just for her disappearance, which is certainly spawned 430 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 1: a number of salacious conspiracy theories, but for the fact 431 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 1: that she was a very important figure in early feminist movements. 432 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 1: Her beliefs about women being capable of great feats and 433 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,520 Speaker 1: being able to try and accomplish and even do better 434 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 1: things that men had done first these are still relevant concerns, 435 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 1: and one of my favorite quotes from her it's pretty simple, 436 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 1: but to me, it pretty much sums up Amelia Earhart 437 00:24:57,640 --> 00:24:59,919 Speaker 1: that flying may not be all plane sailing, but the 438 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,560 Speaker 1: fun of it is worth the price. And she was 439 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:05,240 Speaker 1: never walking into any of these flights thinking that it 440 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:07,959 Speaker 1: wouldn't all be fine, you know, she she knew it 441 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:10,360 Speaker 1: was dangerous when she undertook that last flight. She knew 442 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:12,720 Speaker 1: it was dangerous when she took her other flights. She'd 443 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 1: even crashed a plane before, I believe with Nita Snook. 444 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:17,679 Speaker 1: But she wanted to do in any ways because it 445 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,720 Speaker 1: was worth it to her exactly. And I think that's 446 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:27,159 Speaker 1: important advice to live by for sure. All Right. So 447 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 1: those were some interesting theories presented by Katie and Candice, 448 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:34,159 Speaker 1: some more likely than others. Perhaps there was the Japanese 449 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:38,119 Speaker 1: spy theory. The Tokyo Rose thing, how ameliaire Heart might 450 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:40,880 Speaker 1: have faked her own death was another one, and then 451 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:44,880 Speaker 1: the crash and sink theory of course. But the new 452 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:47,359 Speaker 1: clues that have emerged this year have mostly to do 453 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 1: with one of the two theories that they mentioned at 454 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:52,680 Speaker 1: the very end, ones that seemed to have more evidence 455 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:56,000 Speaker 1: behind them, the one proposed by the International Group for 456 00:25:56,200 --> 00:26:00,480 Speaker 1: Historic Aircraft Recovery, the group that's doing the tradition to 457 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:04,320 Speaker 1: find air hearts Lockheed Electra Plane this summer um. That's 458 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:06,200 Speaker 1: the one that we're going to focus on in particular, 459 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:09,399 Speaker 1: And as we just learned, the researchers with this group, 460 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,320 Speaker 1: the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery believed that air 461 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:16,919 Speaker 1: Heart and Noonan came down on the uninhabited island of Nukamororro, 462 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:20,960 Speaker 1: which was formerly Gardner Island in the Southwestern Pacific, and 463 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:23,920 Speaker 1: they lived as castaways on this island until they died. 464 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,439 Speaker 1: That's what this group believes. Yeah, And they recently this 465 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:30,440 Speaker 1: came out around the time of the expedition announcement, turned 466 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 1: up an enhanced photo of that island shoreline taken by 467 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:38,480 Speaker 1: a British soldier in October nine that really does show 468 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 1: what looks like part of a plane sticking out of 469 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:44,200 Speaker 1: the water just off the shore. And the group has 470 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:47,840 Speaker 1: also done nine archaeological excavations on the island over the 471 00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 1: past few years, and some of the thus far inconclusive 472 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:55,000 Speaker 1: evidence that they've turned up include bone fragments and fecal 473 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: matter too. I talk a little bit about that and 474 00:26:57,040 --> 00:27:00,720 Speaker 1: on that blog that I mentioned from last year. More recently, 475 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 1: this June, they announced that they discovered a small jar 476 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 1: that's almost identical to jars that were once used for 477 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 1: Dr Berry's freckle ointment, which was a product that was 478 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: available and popular in the nineteen thirties. And the executive 479 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,600 Speaker 1: director of this group of Gillespie has pointed out that 480 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: Earhart had freckles and was really self conscious about them, 481 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:23,200 Speaker 1: so this could be a potential clue in the mystery. 482 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:25,840 Speaker 1: Although isn't it sad to think that Amelia Earhart, this 483 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:28,879 Speaker 1: amazing woman, was self conscious about her freckles. They seemed 484 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:32,040 Speaker 1: so much a part of her. Yeah, well, we're all human, 485 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:35,240 Speaker 1: like Katie and Caniser saying she was in the public 486 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:39,199 Speaker 1: spote a lot. So they had also found pieces of 487 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:43,360 Speaker 1: a compact a zipper that was manufactured in the nineteen thirties, 488 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:46,280 Speaker 1: and a bottle of hand lotion that was analyzed chemically 489 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:50,520 Speaker 1: and matches Compona Italian bomb, which was also popular in 490 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:54,199 Speaker 1: the nineteen thirties. So some clues the point to a 491 00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:57,960 Speaker 1: woman of air Hearts era having been in the vicinity. Yeah, 492 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:00,640 Speaker 1: or so they think, Yeah, it certainly seems that way. 493 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:03,400 Speaker 1: And they often found a bone handled pocket knife that's 494 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 1: pretty similar to one air Heart had been known to 495 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:09,040 Speaker 1: carry through a really personal clue to not something that's 496 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:12,119 Speaker 1: just mass manufactured. So those are some of the recent 497 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:15,120 Speaker 1: finds that have come to life. And the other new 498 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: piece of information that's come out regarding air Heart's death 499 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:21,199 Speaker 1: has to do with those radio signals. Katie and Candace 500 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:24,080 Speaker 1: discussed them a little bit, that we're floating around right 501 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: after air hearts last confirmed in flight radio transmission. Yeah, 502 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:31,960 Speaker 1: there were actually dozens of radio transmissions detected in the 503 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 1: hours after that last in flight message, and people knew 504 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:37,320 Speaker 1: about them at the time. I mean, they were in 505 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 1: the news, they were in the headlines. But according to 506 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 1: Discovery News, when the official search for air Heart noon 507 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 1: and failed uh mid July of that year, around July eighth, 508 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:51,480 Speaker 1: I think these transmissions were basically dismissed as being focus 509 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:53,760 Speaker 1: and there were about a hundred and twenty of those 510 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:57,320 Speaker 1: signals total that were alleged to have been from air Heart. Now, though, 511 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:00,760 Speaker 1: a news study released by the International Group for Historic 512 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 1: Aircraft Recovery suggests that fifty seven out of those signals 513 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 1: are actually credible transmissions from ear Heart, and they determined 514 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 1: this by analyzing the reports of the signals using technology 515 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 1: that wasn't available at the time, like digitized information management 516 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:21,680 Speaker 1: systems and ten of modeling software and radio wave propagation 517 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 1: analysis programs. So this fine is pretty significant, not just 518 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: because it shows that air Heart was trying to communicate 519 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: for some time after a plane went down. But if 520 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 1: it's accurate, it also proves that her plane had to 521 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 1: be on land and on its wheels were at least 522 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 1: a few days after she disappeared, because that's the only 523 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 1: way she would have been able to safely send these signals, 524 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 1: so no immediate crash and sync. Yeah. But the reason 525 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:49,760 Speaker 1: we should explain a little bit why they know that 526 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 1: she would have had to be on dry land because 527 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:54,760 Speaker 1: she would have needed to run the engine to recharge 528 00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: the batteries to send those multiple transmissions. So that's how 529 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 1: they know that. But the possibilities with this particular theory 530 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:05,480 Speaker 1: just seem to be getting stronger and stronger, don't you think. 531 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:07,479 Speaker 1: I mean, they've come up with a lot of clues 532 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:12,360 Speaker 1: with these nine excavations, the scientific analysis sort of things, 533 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:15,560 Speaker 1: and um, it sounds like a whole picture is emerging. 534 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:19,440 Speaker 1: So it'll be interesting to see what this expedition comes 535 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:22,480 Speaker 1: up with this year, and maybe they'll actually solve the 536 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 1: mystery once and for all. Maybe we'll have a little scenario. Yeah, 537 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 1: maybe it was going to be like our our Lizzie 538 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:29,440 Speaker 1: board and update and we're just gonna need to update 539 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 1: it again. We'll see. Yeah, I know, we might need 540 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 1: to create a whole entirely new episode if we find 541 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:37,520 Speaker 1: out what really happened, But I guess we'll address that 542 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:40,720 Speaker 1: when the time comes. For now, if you have any 543 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:44,160 Speaker 1: other Amelia Earhart theories out there that we missed, or 544 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:46,560 Speaker 1: that Katie and Candace missed, or that we all missed 545 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:48,800 Speaker 1: that you want to share with us, or just some 546 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:50,800 Speaker 1: more aviator stories that you want to share with us 547 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:54,240 Speaker 1: or suggestions, please write to us where at History podcast 548 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 1: at Discovery dot com, and you can also look us 549 00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 1: up on Facebook and on Twitter at miss in History. 550 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:01,680 Speaker 1: And we do have too great articles sort of related 551 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 1: to this. One is the classic why can't we solve 552 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:07,440 Speaker 1: the Amelia Earhart and mystery? The other is how to 553 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:10,520 Speaker 1: survive a plane crash, which is more and more likely 554 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:13,080 Speaker 1: seeming to be what might have happened. So if you 555 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 1: want to check out either of those, search for them 556 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:19,160 Speaker 1: on our homepage. It's www dot how stuff works dot 557 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:27,120 Speaker 1: com for more illness and thousands of other topics. Is 558 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 1: it how stuff works dot com