Then residing in Massachusetts, Earhart jumped at the opportunity to be the first woman to partake in a transatlantic flight. Although just a passenger on the 1928 adventure led by pilot Wilmer “Bill” Stultz, her subsequent book chronicling the experience catapulted her into the spotlight.

On the 88th anniversary of Amelia Earhart's disappearance, Purdue University announced a joint expedition to locate the pioneer's long lost plane.

The official search, named the "Taraia Object Expedition," will begin on Nov. 5, when a field team visits the island Nikumaroro by sea.