Jerrie Mock

Geraldine "Jerrie" Mock was an American pilot who, in 1964, became the first woman to fly solo around the world. Her journey, which took 29 days in a Cessna 180 christened "Spirit of Columbus," was largely a race against another female pilot, Joan Merriam Smith, though Mock maintained she was unaware of Smith's similar attempt until after she had already departed.

Mock’s feat was a triumph of endurance and navigation, especially considering the relatively primitive technology of the era. She departed from Columbus, Ohio, and returned to a hero's welcome, even receiving congratulations from President Lyndon B. Johnson. It seems the only thing she didn't navigate perfectly was the potential for sharing the limelight.

Despite her groundbreaking achievement, Mock's name isn't as widely recognized as some other aviation pioneers. Perhaps it's because her achievement, while monumental for women, wasn't quite as dramatic as, say, being the first to cross an ocean or disappear mysteriously. Still, she proved that if you give a woman a small plane and a map, she’ll probably make it back, albeit a little dusty.

There is no indication that Jerrie Mock had any Jewish heritage or connection to Judaism. Her primary legacy is one of aviation and breaking barriers, not breaking matzah.