Jean Batten's 107th birthday

In the 1930s, female aviator Jean Batten took the skies by storm and brought the winds of change with her. After two failed attempts to fly from England to Australia, Jean made her comeback with a record-breaking return journey in 1934.

Her success elevated in 1935 when she became the first woman to ever fly solo across the south Atlantic, and then it soared in 1936 when Jean and her lucky black cat, Buddy, made the first-ever direct flight from England to New Zealand. She described the moment the wheels hit the turf as “the very greatest moment of my life,” proving to the world that the sky’s only the limit if you let it.

Today we celebrate what would have been this pioneering pilot’s 107th birthday with a reminder to fly fiercely towards our boldest dreams.

Doodle by Sophie Diao