Sabiha Gokcen

Sabiha Gökçen was a Turkish aviator who became the world's first female fighter pilot at the age of 23. She was one of the nine adopted children of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, and a symbol of the modernization and emancipation of Turkish women. She attended the Türkkuşu Flight School in 1935 and became a military pilot in 1936. She participated in several military operations, such as the Dersim Rebellion and the Balkan Pact maneuvers. She also flew solo over Turkey and the Balkans, breaking several records and receiving many awards. She retired from the Turkish Air Force in 1964 and became a spokesperson for the Turkish Aeronautical Association. She died of heart failure in 2001 on her 88th birthday.