A high point in aviation historyMay 20, 1997Web posted at: 12:00 a.m. EDT (0400 GMT) (CNN) -- When Amelia Earhart left Harbor Grace, Newfoundland 65 years ago Monday, she had her sights set much higher than the thousands of feet her small plane would climb. She aimed to become the first female pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean on a solo flight. About 2,020 miles later, Earhart realized her goal, landing near Londonderry, Ireland. The flight took 13 1/2 hours. She arrived on May 20, 1932. Her only meal was a thermos of soup and a can of tomato juice. Just four years earlier, in 1928, Earhart had become the first woman ever to cross the Atlantic by plane, when she flew as a passenger from Newfoundland to Wales. In 1937, Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan attempted to fly around the world. Their plane disappeared over the Central Pacific. Today, Texas businesswoman Linda Finch is retracing Earhart's route. On Monday, Finch threw three silk wreathes out over Howland Island, where Earhart's plane vanished. Finch is expected to embark on the next leg of the journey Wednesday, from Kanton (one of the Phoenix Islands in the Central Pacific) to Christmas Island. 
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