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May 21, 1932

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

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Headlines from May 21, 1932

MRS. PUTNAM FLIES ALONE FOR PARIS ON 'LINDBERGH DAY'; With Fair Sky, Wind Aiding, She Takes Off at Day's End From Harbor Grace, Nfld. DUE AT GOAL THIS MORNING First Woman to Make Attempt Faces Clouds 400 Miles Out, but Plans to Soar Over Them. ONLY FIVE HOURS AT PORT Decision to Start on Anniversary of Colonel's Flight Quickly Made -- Putnam Sure of Wife's Success. MRS. PUTNAM FLIES ALONE FOR PARIS

By Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES

Balchen flies plane to Harbor Grace, N F; Mrs Putnam leaves alone on transatlantic flight on anniversary of Lindbergh flight; map; por, Paris awaits flier

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Notable Births

Inese Jaunzeme

1932Inese Jaunzeme, Latvian javelin thrower and surgeon (died 2011)[†]

Inese Jaunzeme was a Latvian javelin thrower who won a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics.

1932Leonidas Vasilikopoulos, Greek admiral and intelligence chief (died 2014)[†]

Leonidas Vasilikopoulos was a Greek Navy officer, who served as Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff in 1986–1989 and then as head of the Greek National Intelligence Service in 1993–1996. A distinguished officer, he is also notable for his participation in resistance groups against the Greek military junta of 1967–1974, being repeatedly imprisoned and exiled as a consequence.

Notable Deaths

Marcel Boulenger

1932Marcel Boulenger, French fencer and author (born 1873)[†]

Marcel Jacques Amand Romain Boulenger was a French novelist and fiction writer. He was awarded the Prix Nee of the Académie Française in 1918 and the Prix Stendhal in 1919. He was also a fencer of international standard, competing in the late 19th century and early 20th centuries.

Historical Events

Amelia Earhart

1932Bad weather forces Amelia Earhart to land in a pasture in Derry, Northern Ireland, and she thereby becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.[†]

Amelia Mary Earhart was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her life, Earhart embraced celebrity culture and women's rights, and since her disappearance has become a global cultural figure. She was the first female pilot to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean and set many other records. She was one of the first aviators to promote commercial air travel, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences, and was instrumental in the formation of the Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots.