Washington: President Donald Trump has ordered the declassification and release of all government records related to aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, whose disappearance in 1937 while attempting to fly around the world remains one of history’s greatest mysteries.

Announcing the decision on Friday, Trump described her fate as an “interesting story” and said many people had pressed him to make public any government material still held on the case.

“Amelia made it almost three quarters around the World before she suddenly, and without notice, vanished, never to be seen again,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “Her disappearance, almost 90 years ago, has captivated millions. I am ordering my Administration to declassify and release all Government Records related to Amelia Earhart, her final trip, and everything else about her.”

The move follows Trump’s earlier pledge to declassify files on major 20th century figures, including the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King Jr. His administration has already released thousands of pages of records from the 1960s assassinations, though none contained significant new revelations.

Who was Amelia Earhart?

Amelia Earhart became a global icon in the 1930s as a trailblazing pilot. She was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, breaking barriers in a field dominated by men. Her daring achievements made her a household name and a symbol of women’s advancement in aviation.

Her disappearance

Amelia Earhart began her celebrated attempt to circumnavigate the globe on June 1, 1937, accompanied by her navigator, Fred Noonan. The pair departed from Miami aboard a twin-engine Lockheed Electra, embarking on a highly publicised journey. After a series of refuelling stops, they reached Lae, New Guinea, on June 29, having covered about 22,000 miles of their planned 29,000-mile route.

On July 2, Earhart and Noonan resumed their flight, heading for Howland Island, a tiny speck in the Pacific Ocean where they planned to refuel. The leg required flying roughly 2,600 miles, with an expected arrival the following morning. But Howland Island was notoriously difficult to locate.

To assist them, the US Coast Guard stationed the cutter Itasca near Howland and maintained radio contact with Earhart. Initial communications were routine, but her updates became increasingly worrisome. Earhart reported poor weather, including cloudy skies, and, more critically, said the aircraft was running low on fuel.

Communication difficulties compounded the situation. Signals between Earhart’s plane and the Itasca were inconsistent, and the last message received from her included: “We are running north and south”, along with compass coordinates of her flight path.

The Electra never reached Howland Island. The United States launched one of its largest search operations at the time, with the Navy and Coast Guard combing vast areas of the Pacific. Despite weeks of effort, no trace of Earhart, Noonan, or their aircraft was found.

On July 19, 1937, the search was officially called off, and the pair were presumed lost at sea. A year and a half later, on January 5, 1939, Earhart and Noonan were declared dead in absentia, a legal status indicating someone is officially considered deceased despite the absence of conclusive proof.

Theories about her fate

Nearly nine decades after Amelia Earhart vanished, her fate remains one of history’s most enduring mysteries, giving rise to numerous theories beyond the widely accepted explanation of fuel depletion.

One prominent hypothesis, cited by Britannica, suggests that Earhart and Fred Noonan were captured by Japanese forces after straying near islands under Japanese control. Another theory posits that, failing to locate Howland Island, the pair continued southward and ultimately crash-landed on Gardner Island — now known as Nikumaroro Island — in the western Pacific.

Support for the Nikumaroro theory has grown through research by anthropologist Richard Jantz. In 2018, Jantz re-evaluated seven bone measurements first examined in 1940 by physician D.W. Hoodless. His analysis concluded that the bones were more similar to Earhart’s than 99% of individuals in a large reference sample, according to the BBC.

Despite these findings, no conclusive evidence has been discovered to confirm Earhart’s presence on Nikumaroro. Neither her aircraft nor a verified DNA sample has been found on the island.

Over the years, speculation has spawned a wide range of theories about her fate. Some suggest Earhart and Noonan perished as castaways on a remote island, while others claim they were taken prisoner and executed by the Japanese before World War II. Fringe theories — including claims that she lived under an alias in New Jersey or was abducted by aliens — continue to fuel fascination with her disappearance.

Ric Gillespie, executive director of the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, who has dedicated decades to investigating the mystery, is sceptical that Trump’s directive will yield new discoveries. “There's nothing still classified by the U.S. government on Amelia Earhart,” he said in a telephone interview, noting earlier releases from the FBI and the National Archives.

Others in the field, however, welcomed the development. Mindi Love Pendergraft, executive director of the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, said in an email: “If these records shed any light on Earhart's fate, it is a welcome action for Earhart historians and enthusiasts.” She added that Trump’s order “is sure to pique the interest of those dedicated to uncovering the mystery of Earhart's disappearance.”

(With inputs from AP)