A 1995 photograph depicting the disposal of trash at the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island, New York. This landfill, operational from 1948 to 2001, was formerly the world's largest.
1937: The Evolution of Landfills – From Ancient Middens to Modern Sanitation

The progression from ancient middens to modern landfills reflects significant advancements in waste management, with the Fresno landfill marking a historical milestone

The main image illustrates a cross-section of earthquake seismic waves traveling through the Earth's interior, highlighting the ways these waves refract (bend) at the boundaries between the mantle, outer core, and inner core. Inset: A 1932 photograph of Danish geophysicist Inge Lehmann.
1936: Inge Lehmann’s Discovery of the Earth’s Inner Core

Inge Lehmann's analysis of seismic data revealed the Earth's core to be divided into a liquid outer and a solid inner core, reshaping geological understanding

A photograph taken on April 18, 1935, showing a massive dust cloud approaching the town of Stratford, Texas.
1935: The Dust Bowl – A Confluence of Drought and Farming Practices

The Dust Bowl, driven by drought and harmful farming practices, led to significant environmental and societal impacts, spurring changes in land management and conservation

Main image: Dorothy Hill (center) overseeing a group of field geology students. Inset: Illustrations of various coral structures documented and researched by Dorothy Hill.
1934: Dorothy Hill – Pioneering Coral Geology Research

Dorothy Hill's groundbreaking research in coral geology helped unravel the history and evolution of corals, marking her as a key figure in paleontology

Angel Falls, standing at 3,212 feet (979 meters) tall, is located in the state of Bolivar, Venezuela.
1933: Angel Falls – The Aerial Discovery by Jimmie Angel

Jimmie Angel's aerial discovery of Angel Falls spurred scientific interest and tourism, leading to the creation of Venezuela's Canaima National Park

Left: A photograph of Richard Byrd in his flight jacket from the 1920s. Right: A 1929 photo of a Fokker "Super Universal" aircraft used during the Byrd Antarctic Expedition.
1926: The Dawn of Aviation Exploration – Byrd and Amundsen’s Pioneering Flights

Richard E. Byrd and Roald Amundsen's pioneering flights significantly advanced aviation exploration, including historic polar expeditions and Antarctic mapping

Robert Goddard posing with his first liquid-fueled rocket, launched from Auburn, Massachusetts, on March 16, 1926. This rocket had a combustion chamber and nozzle different from modern rockets.
1926: Pioneers of Liquid-Fueled Rocketry – Tsiolkovsky, Goddard, and von Braun

Tsiolkovsky, Goddard, and von Braun were instrumental in evolving rockets from gunpowder origins to sophisticated liquid-fueled machines capable of space travel

A photograph of the ruins of the town of West Frankfort, Illinois, in the aftermath of the March 18, 1925 Tri-State Tornado.
1925: Tri-State Tornado – America’s Deadliest Twister

The Tri-State Tornado of 1925, a catastrophic F5 tornado, was the deadliest in US history and sparked advancements in tornado monitoring

A pre-1921 photograph showing Quaker aid workers from England and the US distributing clothing and food to hungry children in the village of Novosemejkino in the Volga River basin near the city of Samara.
1921: Russian Famine – A Catalyst for Global Aid

The 1921-1922 Russian famine, caused by natural disasters and political turmoil, was instrumental in shaping international humanitarian aid efforts

Botanist and explorer Robert F. Griggs, along with colleagues L. G. Folsom and B. B. Fulton, establishing a camp in Katmai Village in 1915.
1915: Robert F. Griggs and the Discovery of Katmai

Robert F. Griggs' exploration of the 1912 Katmai eruption led to key geological discoveries and the creation of Katmai National Park