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Jean Batten was born
She was born in Roturoa to Frederick Harold Batten and Ellen Blackmore. -
Jean and her family moved to Auckland
After they moved to Auckland, Jean was 5 and was enrolled to Melmerley Ladies' School. -
Jean's parents seperated
Fred had gone to serve for World War I, so Ellen was the head of house and she insisted she was which Fred didn't like. -
Jean was inspired to fly
She was inspired by Charles Lindbergh's solo non-stop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean and was also encouraged by her mother to fly. -
Flew with Charles Kingford Smith
Ellen took Jean to Sydney so she could fly with Australian aviator, Charles Kingsford Smith in his Southern Cross tri-motor. -
Jean gained her pilot's license
She sailed to England with her mother and learnt to fly at the London Aeroplane Club gaining her 'A' license in December that year. -
Jean's first attempts to fly from England to Australia
The first and second attempts were not successful. The first one ended in India where a piece of machinery in the engine broke causing Jean to crash-land. The second attempt, she'd run out of petrol over Italy and had to make an emergency landing between Rome and Marseilles. -
Jean smashed the record from England to Australia
She took off again, and this time she was successful. She completed it within 14 days and 22 hours, beating the previous record by 5 days. -
Jean flew from England to Brazil
She landed in Port Natal, Brazil in just 61 hours and 15 minutes, almost a day faster than the previous record. -
Flew from England to New Zealand
It took Jean 11 days and 45 minutes to reach Auckland, where she was greeted by over 6000 people. -
First women to fly across the Tasman
The flight took 10 and a half hours and she was very successful, people cheering her on from both sides of the Tasman. -
Jean's mother passed away
She passed away in Jean's arms in Spain, leaving Jean heartbroken as they'd eveloped a very close relationship and Jean relied on her a lot. -
Jean made her last visit to New Zealand
She was guest of honour at the opening of the Aviation Pioneers Pavilion at Auckland’s Museum of Transport and Technology. After this, she lived a very quiet, lonely and anonymous life in Spain. -
Jean Batten passed away
It was discovered that she had died in Majorca, becasue of a a minor dog bite. The bite had become infected, but Jean refused antibiotics or other medication, believing the healing power of positive thought will cure it.
