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CALIFORNIA DESERT HISTORY
An engineering mistake in 1905 accidentally created California’s largest lake — and it changed the desert foreverIn 1905, an engineering blunder redirected the Colorado River into a desert basin, unintentionally giving rise to California's Salton Sea. ...- Nobel-winning chemist born to Palestinian refugees grew up with 9 siblings in one room without running water or electricity; after moving to the US in 1980, he developed technology to harvest water from dry desert air without electricityOmar M. Yaghi, a distinguished Nobel laureate, grew up in Jordan, where he faced the harsh reality of water scarcity. This early challenge ...
- In 1862, silver transformed Aurora in Nevada Territory from a mining camp into a town of about 7,000 people; years later, only about 500 remained, and many mills had been dismantledOnce an empty expanse, Aurora surged into a thriving community of seven thousand within two short years, thanks to promising silver mines. ...
- In 1935, this dam submerged entire US town under 60 feet of water; nearly 90 years later, falling lake levels are bringing the 'ghost town' back to lifeHoover Dam Construction: St. Thomas, a historic Nevada town, has reemerged as Lake Mead's water levels decline. The former Mormon settlemen...
- In 2018, the U.S. Air Force signed a 35-year lease for underused Mojave desert land. 8 years later, the site hosts 1.9 million solar panels, turning a historic aircraft testing ground into a massive renewable-energy hubIn 2018, the U.S. Air Force signed a 35-year lease for underused desert land at Edwards Air Force Base in California. What happened next wa...
- Calico Ghost Town: How a thriving silver town in the Mojave Desert collapsed in just 12 yearsCalico, a once-thriving town in California, saw its fortunes rise with a silver rush that began in 1881. Unfortunately, the gold rush faded...
- In 1948 US industrialist Henry J Kaise founded a town for about 4,000 people in California. Then it emptied almost overnight but still stands frozen in timeEagle Mountain was a company town built for a large iron mine in California's desert. The town housed thousands of residents and provided a...
- In 1969, California biologist Phil Pister carried endangered Owens pupfish across hazardous terrain in two buckets; in 2024, a seventh refuge population was establishedIn a dramatic rescue in 1969, biologist Phil Pister painstakingly transported the last of the Owens pupfish through challenging landscapes ...
- In 1933, California began building an aqueduct that would pump Colorado River water 493 meters uphill and carry it 389 km across the desert to supply its fast-growing citiesLos Angeles faced water shortages due to its growing population in the early 1920s. Planners chose the Colorado River as a vast water sourc...
- As Iran war rages on, US takes a massive hit far from the battle ground; loses nuclear supercarrier USS NimitzAmerica's first nuclear supercarrier, USS Nimitz, is preparing for deactivation in March 2027. This iconic warship has served the US Navy f...
- In 1890, Eugene Schieffelin released European starlings in Central Park; within 69 years, their descendants had reached the PacificEugene Schieffelin released European starlings in Central Park in 1890. These birds spread across the continent within sixty-nine years. St...
- In 1964, American engineers drew up NAWAPA, a plan to redirect the rivers of Alaska and Canada through the Rockies to water the US desert, re-plumbing an entire continentA 1964 plan proposed moving water from Alaska to the arid American West. This ambitious engineering project aimed for continental water red...
- For decades, the Soviet Union planned to reverse the flow of Siberia's mighty rivers, turning them south to water Central Asia, one of the largest schemes ever seriously proposedA Soviet engineering dream aimed to reverse Siberian rivers for Central Asian agriculture. This ambitious plan involved studying over 120 i...
- Why are chihuahuas thriving in the southwest and labradors winning northeast hearts? The data behind America’s changing pet cultureWhy are Chihuahuas thriving in the Southwest and Labradors winning Northeast hearts? America's favorite dogs are no longer the same everywh...
- Horrific B-52 bomber crash video shows giant fireball, black smoke filling California sky near Air Force baseB-52 bomber crash: A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California. The i...
- F-16 fighter jet crashes in California desert, Air Force pilot safely ejectsA fighter jet from the Air Force's elite Thunderbirds demonstration squadron crashed in the Southern California desert. The pilot ejected s...
- 20 magical dark sky campsites in the US that will blow your mind after sunsetHipcamp reveals the top dark-sky campsites across America for 2025. These spots offer amazing views of the night sky. The list includes 20 ...
- Tropical Storm Hilary unleashes flash floods in CaliforniaMountain and desert areas could get 5 to 10 inches of (12 to 25 cm) rain, as much as the deserts typically see in a year, forecasters said....
- Head to Southern California for some thrill and adventure this summerThe best of Southern California beckons. Make your summer plans.
- Why Hotel California is in newsIt’s about Hotel California Todos Santos, an actual 11-room hotel in Todos Santos, Mexico. The band has filed a lawsuit against the Mexican...
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