Death Valley, a desert valley located in Eastern California's Mojave Desert, is considered the hottest place on Earth during summertime. Bordering the Great Basin Desert, Death Valley has been home to the Timbisha tribe (formerly Panamint Shoshone) for at least 1,000 years.
1907: Borax Exploitation Ends
The exploitation of evaporitic salts, such as borax, in Death Valley, primarily from 1883 to 1907, ended.
January 2, 1913: Coldest Temperature Recorded
The valley's lowest temperature, recorded at Greenland Ranch (now Furnace Creek) on January 2, 1913, was 15 °F (−9 °C).
July 10, 1913: Highest Temperature Recorded
The United States Weather Bureau recorded a high temperature of 134 °F (56.7 °C) at Furnace Creek in Death Valley on July 10, 1913, which stands as the highest ambient air temperature ever recorded on the surface of the Earth.
1917: Consecutive Days Over 120 °F
The summer of 1917 had 52 days when the temperature reached 120 °F (49 °C) or above, 43 of them consecutive.
July 5, 1918: Hottest Overnight Temperature (Disputed)
The highest overnight or low temperature recorded in Death Valley is 110 °F (43 °C), recorded on July 5, 1918. However this value is disputed.
January 1922: Snowfall Recorded
Snow with accumulation has only been recorded in Death Valley in January 1922, while scattered flakes have been recorded on other occasions.
1922: Inaccurate Temperature Report
A report of a temperature of 58 °C (136 °F) in Libya in 1922 was later determined to be inaccurate.
1929: Year Without Rain
In 1929, no rain was recorded for the whole year in Death Valley.
1931: Driest Period on Record Begins
The period from 1931 to 1934 was the driest stretch on record in Death Valley, with only 0.64 inches (16 mm) of rain over a 40-month period.
February 11, 1933: Death Valley National Monument Proclaimed
Death Valley National Monument was proclaimed on February 11, 1933, by President Herbert Hoover, placing the area under federal protection.
1934: Driest Period on Record Ends
The period from 1931 to 1934 was the driest stretch on record in Death Valley, with only 0.64 inches (16 mm) of rain over a 40-month period.
1953: Year Without Rain
In 1953, no rain was recorded for the whole year in Death Valley.
July 15, 1972: Highest Surface Temperature Recorded
The highest surface temperature ever recorded in Death Valley was 201.0 °F (93.9 °C), on July 15, 1972, at Furnace Creek, which is the highest ground surface temperature ever recorded on earth, as well as the only recorded surface temperature of above 200 °F (93.3 °C).
1989: Year Without Rain
In 1989, no rain was recorded for the whole year in Death Valley.
1994: Redesignation and Expansion
In 1994, Death Valley National Monument was redesignated as Death Valley National Park, as well as being substantially expanded to include Saline and Eureka Valleys.
January 1995: Wettest Month on Record
The wettest month on record in Death Valley is January 1995, when 2.59 inches (66 mm) fell.
1996: Hot Summer Days
The summer of 1996 had 40 days over 120 °F (49 °C), and 105 days over 110 °F (43 °C).
2001: Longest Stretch of 100 °F+ Days
The greatest number of consecutive days with a maximum temperature of at least 100 °F (38 °C) was 154, in the summer of 2001.
2004: Wettest Period on Record Begins
The wettest period on record was mid-2004 to mid-2005, in which nearly 6 inches (150 mm) of rain fell in total, leading to ephemeral lakes in the valley and the region and tremendous wildflower blooms.
February 2005: Lake Badwater Formation
Death Valley's Lake Badwater formed in February 2005.
May 2005: Return to Salt Flats
By May 2005, the floor of Death Valley had resumed its more familiar role as Badwater Basin, salt-coated salt flats. In time, this freshly dissolved and recrystallized salt will darken.
2005: Ephemeral Lake Formation
In 2005, Death Valley received four times its average annual rainfall, and the lowest spot in the valley filled with a wide, shallow lake, but the extreme heat and aridity immediately began evaporating the ephemeral lake.
2005: Wettest Period on Record Ends
The wettest period on record was mid-2004 to mid-2005, in which nearly 6 inches (150 mm) of rain fell in total, leading to ephemeral lakes in the valley and the region and tremendous wildflower blooms.
February 2007: Lake Badwater Evaporation
Death Valley's Lake Badwater, which formed in 2005, evaporated by February 2007.
July 12, 2012: Hottest Overnight Temperature and Mean Temperature
A record high low of 107 °F (42 °C) on July 12, 2012, in Death Valley, is considered reliable. This is one of the highest values ever recorded. Also on July 12, 2012, the mean 24-hour temperature recorded at Death Valley was 117.5 °F (47.5 °C), which makes it the world's warmest 24-hour temperature on record.
June 30, 2013: Second Highest Verified Temperature
On June 30, 2013, a verified temperature of 129.2 °F (54.0 °C) was recorded in Death Valley and is tied with Mitribah, Kuwait, for the hottest reliably measured air temperature ever recorded on Earth.
August 16, 2020: Potential New Temperature Record
A temperature of 130 °F (54.4 °C) was recorded at the Furnace Creek weather station on August 16, 2020, but has not yet been officially verified.
July 9, 2021: Potential Second Consecutive Record
The valley again recorded a temperature of 130 °F (54.4 °C) on July 9, 2021. However, that temperature has not yet been officially verified either.
2022: Highest Temperature Record Stands
As of 2022, the 134 °F (56.7 °C) recorded in Death Valley in 1913 is the highest atmospheric temperature ever recorded on the Earth's surface.