A newly discovered recording has brought the voice of pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart back to life, nearly a century after she first spoke the words. The audio snippet, captured on a small 78 rpm record, features Earhart describing a critical moment during her solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean on May 22, 1932.
Earhart's Own Account
In the recording, Earhart explains: 'Something happened which had never happened before in my 12 years of flying. That is, the altimeter, the instrument required to register altitude – height above ground – failed. The hand swung around the dial in such a manner that I knew it was out of commission for the rest of the night.' This speech was delivered in London shortly after her historic flight.
Discovery of the Recording
The recording was unearthed by Amanda Zimmerman, a reference specialist in the Library of Congress' Rare Book and Special Collections Division. It was found on a tiny 78 rpm record tucked inside the back cover of Earhart's memoir, 'The Fun of It'. The record, dating back almost a century, was in poor condition. 'It was just meant to be ephemeral, kind of like a ring you would get in a box of Cracker Jack,' Zimmerman noted. 'It wasn't really meant to last.' The grooved top was made from cheap plastic, while the base was cardboard, making it too fragile for a standard record player.
Restoration via IRENE Project
To preserve the recording, researchers turned to the IRENE project, which uses optical imaging to play records without physical contact. 'The project did what IRENE does – unlock a tiny moment of recorded history from an obsolete piece of technology and preserve it for the modern world,' the team stated. The result is a scratchy but audible reproduction of Earhart's voice.
Earhart's Legacy and Disappearance
Earhart gained fame in 1932 as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. However, her attempt to circumnavigate the globe ended in tragedy five years later. On July 2, 1937, she and navigator Fred Noonan departed Lae Airfield in Papua New Guinea, heading east toward Howland Island, a 2,556-mile journey. They communicated with the Coast Guard ship USCGC Itasca before losing contact. In her last radio message, Earhart said: 'We are on the line 157 337 … We are running on line north and south.' The numbers referred to compass headings describing a line through Howland Island.
Theories on Earhart's Fate
The most straightforward theory is that the plane ran out of fuel and crashed into the sea, killing both instantly or drowning them. More fantastical theories suggest they were eaten by crabs or imprisoned by the Japanese. Most experts agree the wreckage lies near Howland Island or Nikumaroro, an island about 350 miles southeast.
