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

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How Levee Failures Made Hurricane Katrina a Bigger Disaster

Natural disasters and the environment, such as climate change, the San Francisco Earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, the Galveston Hurricane, the Krakatoa eruption and others, have profoundly shaped human history.

Natural Disasters & Environment

Natural disasters and the environment, such as climate change, the San Francisco Earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, the Galveston Hurricane, the Krakatoa eruption and others, have profoundly shaped human history.

Natural Disasters &amp; Environment Archives | History.com

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Natural Disasters &amp; Environment

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History

Earthquakes

America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian - the U.S. president - would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

World War I pitted Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire against Great Britain, the United States, France, Russia, Italy and Japan. New military technology resulted in unprecedented carnage. By the time the war was over and the Allied Powers claimed victory, more than 16 million people—soldiers and civilians alike—were dead.

World War I

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 also moved to the forefront during the Great Recession as awareness of social inequality grew.

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 on Twitter <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>.&nbsp;

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 on Twitter 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

Lesley Kennedy is a features writer and editor living in Denver with her husband and two daughters. Her work has appeared in national and regional newspapers, magazines and websites.

Lesley Kennedy

Madison Horne

<a href="http://www.kieranmulvaney.com/bio.htm">Kieran Mulvaney</a><a href="http://www.kieranmulvaney.com/bio.htm"></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.

Pandemics

Korea is a region of eastern Asia located on the divided Korean Peninsula, which was split into North Korea, South Korea and a demilitarized zone, or DMZ, following the Korean War.

Korea

The Vietnam War pitted communist North Vietnam and the Viet Cong against South Vietnam and the United States. The war ended when U.S. forces withdrew in 1973 and Vietnam unified under Communist control two years later.

Vietnam War

The 1960s were one of the most tumultuous and divisive decades in world history, marked by the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and antiwar protests, political assassinations and the emerging "generation gap."

1960s

The Civil War was America's bloodiest and most divisive conflict, pitting the Union Army against the Confederate States of America. The war resulted in the deaths of more than 620,000 people, with millions more injured and the South left in ruins.

Civil War

From religious and patriotic observances to celebrations of ethnic pride, explore the history of Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick's Day, New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, Memorial Day and more.

Holidays

The Revolutionary War waged by the American colonies against Britain influenced political ideas and revolutions around the globe, as a small fledgling nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.

American Revolution

<a href="https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history">World War II</a> was the biggest and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries. Sparked by the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland, the war dragged on for six bloody years until the Allies defeated Nazi Germany and Japan in 1945.

World War II

Hurricanes

Space exploration, one of the greatest technological achievements in human history, includes the Apollo missions, the Space Shuttles Columbia and Challenger, and people like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong.

Space Exploration

February is dedicated as Black History Month, honoring the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history, including the civil rights movement and their artistic, cultural and political achievements.

Natural Disasters & Environment ‑ Stories

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Hurricane Katrina: 10 Facts About the Deadly Storm and Its Legacy

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Our Changing View of Earth from Space: Photos

12 Times People Confronted a Crisis With Kindness

When Global Warming Was Revealed by a Zig‑Zagged Curve

Hurricane Katrina’s Devastation in Photos

Why It Took Two Earthquakes for San Francisco to Finally Build Smarter

How the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 Became the Deadliest US Natural Disaster