Amelia Earhart is generally believed to have crashed into the ocean near Howland Island in the central Pacific Ocean after running out of fuel while attempting to locate the island during her 1937 around-the-world flight attempt. Her Lockheed Model 10-E Electra airplane and remains have never been found, leading to much speculation and mystery. More recent investigations and research point to a potential crash-landing on or near Nikumaroro (formerly Gardner Island), a small coral atoll about 350 nautical miles south of Howland Island. Satellite images and aerial photos have identified an "anomaly" or possible wreckage of her plane in a lagoon on Nikumaroro, and teams from Purdue University and the Archaeological Legacy Institute plan to excavate the site to confirm whether it is Earhart's aircraft. This discovery aligns with historical theories that Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan may have landed there if they failed to find Howland Island.
