Amelia Mary Earhart with her husband George Palmer Putnam. Amelia Mary Earhart (born July 24, 1897 - disappeared July 2, 1937, declared dead January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. George Palmer Putnam (September 7, 1887 - January 4, 1950) was an American publisher, author and explorer and one of the most successful promoters in the United States during the 1930s