In 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, a feat that few at the time could best. Her fearlessness when it came to breaking barriers, especially in regards to gender, was unparalleled and cemented her as a pioneer in American aviation history. Her disappearance in 1937 was the subject of much debate amongst historians, and a new discovery by analysts at The History Channel has re-opened the matter for discussion.

Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, were legally declared dead despite the fact that neither of their remains were ever recovered. This spawned numerous theories as to the reason behind her disappearance.

A History Channel documentary, covered in a segment of NBC’s Today last Wednesday, contained the revelations. A formerly top secret photograph was found in the National Archives by investigator Les Kinney.

The caption suggests that the picture was taken in 1937 on Jaluit Atoll (in the Marshall Islands), then under Japanese Control. In the background, one can see two Caucasians, one male and one female, on a dock surrounded by Islanders, presumably Earhart and Noonan.

Experts have compared the man’s hairline and nose to that of Noonan, while the woman’s short hair and pants have been likened to Earhart’s similar stylistic choices.

“For decades, locals have claimed they saw Earhart’s plane crash before she and Noonan were taken away,” NBC News wrote of the History Channel documentary.

The makers of the documentary iterated their belief that Earhart and Noonan may have been taken captive by the Japanese on Saipan, in the Northern Maria Islands, where they were imprisoned as suspected spies and later died.

Twitter was torn over the issue, with intrigued by the news…

While others were downright sceptical.

Regardless of one’s stance on the matter, it does make for a captivating story.