Medal, National Geographic Society Medal, Amelia Earhart

In 1932 the National Geographic Society awarded its Gold Medal to Amelia Earhart for becoming the first woman (and the only person since Charles Lindbergh) to achieve a solo transatlantic flight.On May 20, 1932, Earhart took off from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, Canada in her red Lockheed Vega 5B and landed 15 hours later on a farm near Londonderry, Northern Ireland. During the flight she fought fatigue, a leaky fuel tank, and a cracked manifold that spewed flames out the side of the engine. Ice formed on the plane's wings and caused an unstoppable 3,000-foot descent to just above the waves. Although mechanical problems forced Earhart to land before her planned destination in France, she nevertheless crossed the Atlantic. The feat made her an instant worldwide sensation and proved she was a courageous and able pilot.