Rachel Carson, author of the famous environmental science book "Silent Spring," was born on this day in 1907 on a Pennsylvania farm.
She loved nature from her childhood and graduated magna cum laude from the Pennsylvania College for Women. She then studied at an oceanographic institute and received a master's of zoology from Johns Hopkins University. When the 1936 Civil Service Exam came around, Carson got the highest score of any applicant and was hired by the Bureau of Fisheries to write public-facing materials like brochures. With time, she'd rise to the role of editor-in-chief of all publications at the Fish and Wildlife Service.
After moving to Silver Spring, Md., Carson published her book in 1962. It focuses on the effects of pesticides on ecosystems, including how they can cause cancer in humans. Despite PR campaigns by chemical companies seeking to discredit her, her book put pesticides in the public spotlight, leading to their eventual regulation, including a ban on DDT. She died two years later. In 1980 she was posthumously awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
