In a move set to thrill history buffs and aviation enthusiasts worldwide, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he will order his administration to declassify all government records related to the 1937 disappearance of aviator Amelia Earhart.
The statement, posted to the President’s social media, injects new energy into one of the world’s greatest cold cases, nearly 90 years after the star vanished over the Pacific.
“I have been asked by many people about the life and times of Amelia Earhart, such an interesting story,” the US President wrote, adding that Earhart’s disappearance “has captivated millions.” He continued: “I am ordering my Administration to declassify and release all Government Records related to Amelia Earhart, her final trip, and everything else about her.”
Why were Amelia Earhart’s Records Classified in the First Place?
The official U.S. government position is that Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean near Howland Island. However, a paper trail of classified or heavily redacted files has given rise to alternative theories, which often touch upon sensitive pre-World War II intelligence matters. Claims that Earhart was captured by Japanese forces in the Pacific, or was on a covert spying mission for the U.S. government, make some believe the classification was tied to national security concerns rather than the accident itself.
The Aviation Icon Who Broke the Sky
Born in Atchison, Kansas, Earhart became an American cultural hero long before her disappearance. She achieved global fame in 1932 when she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Her numerous “firsts” in aviation shattered gender barriers and established her as a powerful symbol of independence and ambition.
Her final mission—an attempt to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe along the equator—was her most daring. On July 2, 1937, she and Noonan took off from Lae, Papua New Guinea, bound for the tiny Howland Island, a critical refueling stop. They never arrived. Despite the largest search-and-rescue effort of its time, no conclusive wreckage of her Lockheed Electra aircraft was ever found, cementing the mystery.
Mindi Love Pendergraft, executive director of the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum told the New York Times that the order “is sure to pique the interest of those dedicated to uncovering the mystery.” For enthusiasts who believe in a government cover-up, this new release offers answers nearly 90 years after the fateful flight.
Next: Beloved Children’s Icon Just Sent a Stinging Message to President Trump
