Environmental History Timeline

  • Public Health Service Act

    Authorized marine hospitals for the care of American merchant seamen.
  • Period: to

    years

  • Establishment of National Forests

    Publically owned, federally administrated lands.
  • Bald Eagle Protection Act

    A law protecting the US national bird
  • Everglades National Park

    A park dedicated to preservation of a complex and precisely oredered living mechanism.
  • Silent Spring published

    Rachel Carson wrote this book and made people think about the environment like they never have before.
  • Wilderness Act

    A law determined to give wilderness stability and established restrictions.
  • Endangered Species Preservation Act

    Allowing the listing of native US animal species as endangered and for limited protections.
  • First Earth Day

    An estimated 20 million people nationwide attended Earth Day festivels to celebrate the mother Earth.
  • EPA Formed

    The Environmental Protection Agency formed to protect human health and the environment.
  • OPEC oil embargo

    Increased oil prices by 70 percent.
  • Endangered Species Conservation Act

    Attempt to prevent elimination of animal species in the US, and to help the population grow.
  • Endangered Species Act

    Protects threatened and endangered species.
  • Toxic Substance Control Act

    Provides EPA with authority to require, reporting, record-keeping, and testing requirements.
  • Three Mile Island Accident

    A valve was left open, releasing harmful nuclear gasses.
  • Union Carbide plant explosion

    A plant that released toxic gas in form of MIC, killed 2500-5000.
  • Chernobyl nuclear reactor explosion

    A nuclear reactor exploded due to flawd reactor design and operated by inadequite personnel.
  • Exxon Valdez oil spill

    An Exxon oil tanker spilled about 10.9 million gallons of its 53 million cargo of crude oil on the Bligh Reef in Alaska.
  • First U.N. Earth Summit

    Addressed problems of environmental protection and socio-economic development.
  • international Conference on Population and Development

    A conference which adopted a program to focus on idividual's rights and needs.
  • World Food Summit

    Aimed to decrease population's hunger and malnutrition.
  • Kyoto Protocol

    An international agreement reducing greenhouse gasses.
  • Migratory Bird Act

    A law adopted to protect migratory birds.