President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he has ordered the declassification and release of all government records related to the famed aviator Amelia Earhart, whose disappearance in 1937 remains one of history’s greatest unsolved mysteries.
Trump announced the decision on Truth Social, describing Earhart as an aviation trailblazer and her story as one that “has captivated millions.” He said the American people deserve to see the government’s full archive.
“I have been asked by many people about the life and times of Amelia Earhart, such an interesting story, and would I consider declassifying and releasing everything about her, in particular, her last, fatal flight!
“She was an Aviation Pioneer, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and achieved many other Aviation ‘firsts.’ She disappeared in the South Pacific while trying to become the first woman to fly around the World. Amelia made it almost three quarters around the World before she suddenly, and without notice, vanished, never to be seen again.
“Her disappearance, almost 90 years ago, has captivated millions. I am ordering my Administration to declassify and release all Government Records related to Amelia Earhart, her final trip, and everything else about her. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Earhart, along with her navigator Fred Noonan, vanished while flying from New Guinea to Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean. She had reported low fuel in a radio transmission before losing contact. Despite an extensive Navy search, no wreckage or remains were ever recovered.
The government’s official stance has long been that Earhart and Noonan crashed at sea and perished. Still, the mystery surrounding her fate has fueled speculation for decades.
The U.S. Navy conducted one of its most expensive search operations at the time, deploying ships and aircraft to scour thousands of square miles of ocean. Later, classified intelligence files from World War II added layers of intrigue, with some researchers claiming the U.S. may have withheld details of Earhart’s fate due to rising tensions with Japan.
In the decades that followed, the CIA and other agencies occasionally faced public pressure to disclose what they knew, though most files remained sealed or inconclusive.
Some theories suggest Earhart survived only to live under a different identity in New Jersey. Others claim she was captured and executed by Japanese forces, while another posits that she and Noonan died stranded on a remote island. More far-fetched ideas have even invoked the concept of alien abduction.
Earhart’s legacy endures as a pioneering woman in aviation who shattered barriers with her daring achievements. Her solo transatlantic flight in 1932 established her as an international icon, inspiring generations of pilots and adventurers.
Trump’s move to declassify government records is expected to reignite public interest in the case. Whether the files will bring new clarity to the nearly 90-year-old mystery remains to be seen, but his order ensures that any long-sealed documents will soon be in public view.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.
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