The fate of famous aviator Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of our time. But a newly discovered photograph might just hold the key to unlocking the truth about what really happened on the final leg of her attempt to become the world’s first female pilot to circumnavigate the globe.
80 years ago, while flying over the South Pacific on July 2nd 1937, the duo vanished while heading east from Papua New Guinea. In Earhart’s final radio communication, she noted that they were running low on gas, and this led people to believe that the pair most likely crashed into the sea. But former FBI official Shawn Henry believes that the picture below, unearthed by retired US Treasury Agent Les Kinney in 2012, proves that Earhart and Noonan actually landed safely but were then captured by the Japanese. This isn’t the first time that this theory has been put forward, but it is the first time that a photograph has emerged that seemingly supports such a claim.
"This absolutely changes history," Henry told People Magazine. "I think we proved beyond a reasonable doubt that she survived her flight and was held prisoner by the Japanese on the island of Saipan, where she eventually died."
Henry’s investigation has resulted in a documentary that will air on the History Channel on Sunday, July 9th, called Amelia Earhart: The Lost Evidence. Tune in to see for yourself if this ongoing mystery is about to be solved.
More info: History Channel (h/t: people)
The fate of aviator Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of our time
Image credits: Brettman Archive
80 years ago, while flying over the South Pacific, the duo vanished while heading east from Papua New Guinea
Image credits: Brettman Archive
In Earhart’s final radio communication, she said they were running low on gas, which led people to believe they'd most likely crashed at sea
Image credits: New York Daily News Archive
But a formerly top secret photograph might just hold the key to unlocking the truth about what really happened
Image credits: U.S. National Archives
The picture shows what appears to be Earhart and Noonan in the Marshall Islands, which were then occupied by the Japanese
Image credits: U.S. National Archives
Experts believe the man's nose and hairline match Noonan's
Image credits: TODAY
The woman also appears to have the same iconic short hair as Earhart
Image credits: Universal History Archive
Furthermore, the picture shows a Japanese warship towing something that resembles Earhart's plane
Image credits: Brettman Archive
Many people continue to believe that Earhart and Noonan were captured by the Japanese
Image credits: Getty Images
But this is the first time a photograph has emerged that seemingly supports such a claim
Image credits: Brettman Archive
Has the mystery of Earhart and Noonan finally been solved?
Image credits: Hulton Archive