How Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring' Galvanized the Environmental Movement

August 3, 2007. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Investigators move cautiously amid the rubble of the 35W bridge that lies in pieces in the Mississippi River.

5 Moments That Forced Americans to Confront Climate ChangeDraft SharePreviewPublish

How Levee Failures Made Hurricane Katrina a Bigger Disaster

Night view on January 16, 2012, of the cruise liner Costa Concordia aground in front of the harbor of Isola del Giglio after hitting underwater rocks on January 13.

Fukushima Timeline: How an Earthquake Triggered Japan’s Nuclear Disaster

5 of the Most Significant Impact Craters in North America

Natural disasters and changes in the environment, such as global warming, the San Francisco Earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, the Galveston Hurricane, the Krakatoa eruption and others, have profoundly shaped human history. Explore both the sudden and long-term impacts of natural and human-made disasters.

19th Century

Minnesota enters the Union

1858

World War II

"Butcher of Lyon,” former Nazi Gestapo chief, charged with war crimes

1987

Crime

British prime minister Spencer Perceval assassinated

1812

Natural Disasters &amp; Environment

Dust storm sweeps from Great Plains across Eastern states

1934

World War I

Germans prepare to protest Versailles Treaty terms

1919

Vietnam War

President Kennedy orders more troops to South Vietnam

1961

Bloody 10-day battle at “Hamburger Hill” begins

1969

Inventions &amp; Science

Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov in chess match

1997

Art, Literature and Film History

Reggae star Bob Marley dies at 36

1981

Sports

Fire kills 50 at soccer stadium

1985

Evidence found against French serial killer known as “The Queen of Poisoners”

1949

Civil War

Confederate Cavalry General J.E.B. Stuart is mortally wounded

1864

B.F. Goodrich Co. announces development of tubeless tire

1947

Natural Disasters & Environment

Natural disasters and the environment have profoundly shaped human history. Learn about the environment and the San Francisco Earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, the Galveston Hurricane and more.

Natural Disasters & Environment: Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Floods | HISTORY

Home

HISTORY

The 21st century saw the dawn of the war on terrorism, as the 9/11 attacks and the Boston Marathon bombing dramatically changed society. Economic issues moved to the forefront during the Great Recession. The COVID-19 pandemic upended lives and economies around the world. Awareness of social inequality grew as the killings of Black Americans, including Trayvon Martin and George Floyd, spurred widespread protests.

21st Century

<a href="http://www.christopherklein.com/">Christopher Klein</a> is the author of four books, including When the Irish Invaded Canada: The Incredible True Story of the Civil War Veterans Who Fought for Ireland’s Freedom and Strong Boy: The Life and Times of John L. Sullivan. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and National Geographic Traveler. Follow Chris at <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.twitter.com_historyauthor&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=bHpC9irXhivtSwyVyKc43lLt4-cAwmmH7TeQLPqTb5E&amp;r=0ZpTu-He2V3GUI-VETMmkwm8-GyOWSyeMJXqt7G42KA&amp;m=K4QAG6bPcooItZtsSRYJId99sCdkkYnSQnbG55Y82ZU&amp;s=reHlmdZq8nMnpunXM6VDAaQCLeVwu9L3gbscryyWKD8&amp;e=">@historyauthor</a>.

Christopher Klein

Sarah Pruitt is a writer and editor based in seacoast New Hampshire. She has been a frequent contributor to History.com since 2005, and is the author of Breaking History: Vanished! (Lyons Press, 2017), which chronicles some of history's most famous disappearances.

Sarah Pruitt

<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__msbeckylittle.tumblr.com_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=bHpC9irXhivtSwyVyKc43lLt4-cAwmmH7TeQLPqTb5E&amp;r=DnM91hJ18gcNL3QDGSFbaxqDKqUNYha-dXU1EFEqguU&amp;m=G-7sCRahZ4NeqUBMRIzpVYF_SWJZdHf6oZ3GZnosXWc&amp;s=zmyoc9Pijw9wmJOCBZEXDORhhj0TxUZKXRRMCwVGaTI&amp;e=">Becky Little</a> is a journalist based in Washington, D.C. Follow her at <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__twitter.com_MsBeckyLittle&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=bHpC9irXhivtSwyVyKc43lLt4-cAwmmH7TeQLPqTb5E&amp;r=DnM91hJ18gcNL3QDGSFbaxqDKqUNYha-dXU1EFEqguU&amp;m=G-7sCRahZ4NeqUBMRIzpVYF_SWJZdHf6oZ3GZnosXWc&amp;s=vkbwVD5s79Na0AuPtG5PY8OTUvwTHP3BjHLGApztU4w&amp;e=">@MsBeckyLittle</a>.

Becky Little

Dave Roos is a journalist and podcaster based in the U.S. and Mexico. He's the co-host of <a title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/biblical-time-machine/id1648738323__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!HXBYfsRrBo7N5os-y_lSq05ShV3dCj9JEctYUd9Gok5iCyZHx7Gw2tqSCGiGSqkIqI2JpY9mKkYaNAhA-3WOj0eb3mc$" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/biblical-time-machine/id1648738323__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!HXBYfsRrBo7N5os-y_lSq05ShV3dCj9JEctYUd9Gok5iCyZHx7Gw2tqSCGiGSqkIqI2JpY9mKkYaNAhA-3WOj0eb3mc$">Biblical Time Machine</a>, a history podcast, and a writer for the popular podcast <a title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stuff-you-should-know/id278981407__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!HXBYfsRrBo7N5os-y_lSq05ShV3dCj9JEctYUd9Gok5iCyZHx7Gw2tqSCGiGSqkIqI2JpY9mKkYaNAhA-3WORJo2DiQ$" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stuff-you-should-know/id278981407__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!HXBYfsRrBo7N5os-y_lSq05ShV3dCj9JEctYUd9Gok5iCyZHx7Gw2tqSCGiGSqkIqI2JpY9mKkYaNAhA-3WORJo2DiQ$">Stuff You Should Know</a>. Learn more at <a title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.daveroos.com/__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!HXBYfsRrBo7N5os-y_lSq05ShV3dCj9JEctYUd9Gok5iCyZHx7Gw2tqSCGiGSqkIqI2JpY9mKkYaNAhA-3WO_YrhCB4$" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.daveroos.com/__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!HXBYfsRrBo7N5os-y_lSq05ShV3dCj9JEctYUd9Gok5iCyZHx7Gw2tqSCGiGSqkIqI2JpY9mKkYaNAhA-3WO_YrhCB4$">daveroos.com</a>.

Dave Roos

Jessica Pearce Rotondi is the author of <a title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://bit.ly/InheritLegacies__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!BX8sz9I7ILilE7m4RTaQnqvKzETh3kNCTVpl2nf1yLL_dIIV2G5r7s-YyJ3x4GFxdzSEzT1Q9tIn_IVLu7mHWLOhfRRBy0w$" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://bit.ly/InheritLegacies__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!BX8sz9I7ILilE7m4RTaQnqvKzETh3kNCTVpl2nf1yLL_dIIV2G5r7s-YyJ3x4GFxdzSEzT1Q9tIn_IVLu7mHWLOhfRRBy0w$">What We Inherit: A Secret War and a Family’s Search for Answers</a>. Find her at <a title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://bit.ly/JPRTwitter__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!BX8sz9I7ILilE7m4RTaQnqvKzETh3kNCTVpl2nf1yLL_dIIV2G5r7s-YyJ3x4GFxdzSEzT1Q9tIn_IVLu7mHWLOhdpRBiTQ$" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://bit.ly/JPRTwitter__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!BX8sz9I7ILilE7m4RTaQnqvKzETh3kNCTVpl2nf1yLL_dIIV2G5r7s-YyJ3x4GFxdzSEzT1Q9tIn_IVLu7mHWLOhdpRBiTQ$">@JessicaRotondi</a> or at <a title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://bit.ly/WhatWeInherit__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!BX8sz9I7ILilE7m4RTaQnqvKzETh3kNCTVpl2nf1yLL_dIIV2G5r7s-YyJ3x4GFxdzSEzT1Q9tIn_IVLu7mHWLOhsaTHWD4$" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://bit.ly/WhatWeInherit__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!BX8sz9I7ILilE7m4RTaQnqvKzETh3kNCTVpl2nf1yLL_dIIV2G5r7s-YyJ3x4GFxdzSEzT1Q9tIn_IVLu7mHWLOhsaTHWD4$">JessicaPearceRotondi.com</a>.

Jessica Pearce Rotondi

Adam Janos

<a href="http://www.kieranmulvaney.com/bio.htm">Kieran Mulvaney</a> is the author of At the Ends of the Earth: A History of the Polar Regions, and The Great White Bear: A Natural &amp; Unnatural History of the Polar Bear. He has also covered boxing for ESPN, Reuters, Showtime and HBO.

Kieran Mulvaney

Cate Lineberry is a bestselling author and former editor for National Geographic and Smithsonian&nbsp;magazines. Her latest book is Be Free or Die: The Amazing Story of Robert Smalls' Escape from Slavery to Union Hero.

Cate Lineberry

<a href="https://slack-redir.net/link?url=http%3A%2F%2FHISTORY.com">HISTORY.com</a> is covering a range of angles about pandemics of the past to help frame the COVID-19 crisis.

Natural Disasters & Environment - Stories

The 5 Deadliest Wildfires in America

How Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’ Awakened the World to Environmental Peril

4 Key Moments That Forced Americans to Confront Climate Change

7 of the Most Devastating US Plane Crashes

The Costa Concordia Disaster: How Human Error Made It Worse

7 of History’s Most Devastating Bridge Collapses

5 of the Most Significant Impact Craters in North America

5 of History’s Deadliest Bear Attacks

Fukushima Timeline: How an Earthquake Triggered Japan’s 2011 Nuclear Disaster

The Deadliest Events in US History

7 Fires That Changed History

How Levee Failures Made Hurricane Katrina a Bigger Disaster