indigenous people

Increased international demand for rubber leads to destruction of forests in Amazon River basin.

Mining for uranium begins in Australia, which holds 23% of the world’s proven estimated uranium reserves (1.2 million tons).

The introduction of the rinderpest virus into Africa by Europeans decimates cattle and wildlife populations, leading to severe famines.

A series of tests called “Operation Crossroads” are the first nuclear tests conducted by the United States after the Second World War.

The Jenolan Caves in the Blue Mountains become Australia’s first landscape reservation.

The first North American smallpox epidemic occurs on the Canadian Great Plains and along the US West Coast.