Breakthrough in Amelia Earhart Mystery After 88 Years

Nearly 88 years after her disappearance, new evidence may finally reveal what happened to pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart. She vanished in 1937 during an ambitious flight around the world with navigator Fred Noonan.

Their last known location was near Howland Island in the Pacific, but they never arrived, sparking one of history’s greatest aviation mysteries. Recent satellite images taken in 2015 show a plane-shaped object near Nikumaroro Island (part of Kiribati), almost 1,000 miles from Fiji.

This island has long been linked to Earhart, and now experts believe they’ve found her Lockheed Electra 10-E aircraft. Purdue University, which funded Earhart’s final flight, is backing a new expedition in November 2025 to investigate the object. Experts say it matches the size and shape of her plane and is located near where Earhart made several radio distress calls.

Other supporting evidence includes a medicine vial, American-made items, and even a cosmetic jar thought to belong to Earhart.

A darker theory suggests that after the crash, Earhart may have survived for weeks on the island before dying—possibly with giant coconut crabs scattering her remains. In 1940, 13 bones were found on the island, but were mistakenly identified as male. New analysis suggests they may have belonged to a woman, possibly Earhart.

Researchers say this may be the best chance yet to solve the mystery and are determined to confirm the discovery.