Amelia Earhart was born on July 24, 1897, in Atchison, Kansas. She grew up living with her grandparents and her mother. Her mother didn't believe in raising "nice little girls" and let both of her daughters wear pants at a time when this was considered very unusual. Earhart liked adventure and would often climb trees in her grandparents' neighborhood. She was very fond of sledding, which she said felt like flying. When she was ten, Amelia's parents moved to Des Moines, Iowa, for her father's job with the Rock Island Railroad, while Amelia and her sister remained with their grandparents in Kansas. Over the course of her young life, Amelia and her family moved around a lot because her father had trouble finding and keeping jobs. Although Amelia loved reading, science, and sports, it was hard for her to make friends and do well in school.
In high school, Amelia dreamed of having a career. She kept a book filled with newspaper and magazine clippings about women who were successful in jobs that were usually reserved for men, such as lawyers, engineers, and movie directors. After high school, Amelia went to visit her sister in Toronto, Canada.

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