Origins & Early Life

Frederick Joseph Noonan (born April 4, 1893 – disappeared July 2, 1937, declared dead June 20, 1938) was an American flight navigator, sea captain and aviation pioneer, who first charted many commercial airline routes across the Pacific Ocean during the 1930s. As the flight navigator for famed aviator Amelia Earhart in their pioneering attempt at circumnavigating the globe, the two disappeared somewhere over the central Pacific Ocean on July 3, 1937. Fred Noonan was born on April 4, 1893, in Cook County, Illinois, to Joseph T. Noonan (born Lincolnville, Maine, in 1861) and Catherine Egan (born London, England), both of Irish descent.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Noonan's mother died when he was four, and three years later the 1900 census report listed his father as living alone in a Chicago boarding house. Relatives or family friends were likely looking after Noonan. In his own words, Noonan "left school in summer of 1905 and went to Seattle, Washington," where he was a seaman at an early age, serving in a succession of merchant ships and steadily advancing in his ratings and certifications. At the age of 17, Noonan shipped out of Seattle as an ordinary seaman on a British...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Bai Chongxi — Contemporary (Born in 1893) (1893): Prominent Chinese military general and KMT leader who ruled Guangxi province.
• Chaïm Soutine — Contemporary (Born in 1893) (1893): Belarusian-Jewish Expressionist painter of the School of Paris, known for raw emotional texture.
• Claire Lee Chennault — Contemporary (Born in 1893) (1893): Pioneering American aviator, famed for leading the 'Flying Tigers' in WWII.
• Alan Bond — Contemporary (Born in 1938) (1938): Australian businessman known for high-profile dealings, the America's Cup, and founding Bond University.
• Albert Fert — Contemporary (Born in 1938) (1938): Pioneering physicist known for the discovery of giant magnetoresistance.
• Anthony Leggett — Contemporary (Born in 1938) (1938): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for work on superfluidity and low-temperature quantum systems.
• Ambrose — Shared historical date (04-04 · Died) (397): Influential Christian theologian, statesman, and Bishop of Milan in the 4th century.
• André Masséna — Shared historical date (04-04 · Died) (1817): French Marshal renowned for victories in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
• Adam Ferguson — Shared historical date (06-20 · Born) (1723): Scottish philosopher, historian, and 'father of modern sociology'.
• Amos Tutuola — Shared historical date (06-20 · Born) (1920): Pioneering Nigerian author blending Yoruba folklore with modern literary forms.
• 1893 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1893
• April 4 (04-04) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on April 4
• 1938 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1938
• June 20 (06-20) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on June 20