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See the list of notable past total solar eclipses in the U.S. since 1778
On April 8, 2024, a rare total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of the United States. Those in the path of totality will have the opportunity to see the sun be fully covered by the moon for several minutes.
Total solar eclipses are rare, and aren’t often visible from the U.S. The last time one occurred was in 2017. That eclipse was visible from coast to coast.
Here’s a list of all the times a total solar eclipse has been recorded in the United States.
Total solar eclipse in the U.S. during the 18th century
The first recorded total solar eclipse was in 1778, according to NASA, just a few short years after the United States became an independent country. The eclipse was visible from the Carolinas to New England, and was noted by historical figures like Thomas Jefferson, according to Mount Vernon, the museum established in former President George Washington’s estate. Troops in Washington’s army also noted the event.
List of total solar eclipses in the U.S. during the 19th century
1806:The first total solar eclipse of the 1800s occurred in 1806, according to the National Parks Service. The path of that eclipse would have crossed from Arizona, through the Midwest and into New England, according to NASA.
1869: The next total solar eclipse was recorded in 1869. The path of totality stretched from Alaska to the Carolinas, according to NASA. Photos of the event were published in Harper’s Magazine, the service said, the first mass publication to do so.
1878: The next total solar eclipse occurred in 1878, and the path of totality arced from Alaska through Louisiana, according to NASA. It was studied by an all-woman team of astronomers, according to the parks service, and Thomas Edison himself traveled to see the event, bringing scientific equipment to study the sun’s corona during the eclipse.
List of total solar eclipses in the U.S. during the 20th century
1900: The first eclipse of the 20th century was in 1900, according to the parks service. The path of totality of that eclipse brought it over Wadesboro, North Carolina.
1918: In June 1918, a total solar eclipse was visible from Washington to Florida, according to the parks service. It was the last time a total solar eclipse would be visible across the entire continent for nearly 100 years.
1925: This was followed by another total solar eclipse in January 1925, which was visible from Minnesota through New England, according to NASA.
1932: In August 1932, another total solar eclipse was visible in North America. The path of totality for this eclipse was mostly in Canada, according to NASA, but was visible in northern New England including parts of Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
1963: The next total solar eclipse in the U.S. wasn’t until July 1963. This eclipse was visible in Alaska and parts of northern New England, according to NASA.
1970: In March 1970, another total solar eclipse was visible from the coast of the Southwest United States. Watch CBS News coverage of that event in the video below:
1979: The last eclipse that NASA recorded in the 20th century took place in 1979. This eclipse was visible in the Pacific Northwest and parts of Idaho and the Dakotas, but the path of totality mostly arced through Canada.
Total solar eclipses in the U.S. during the 21st century so far
Only two total solar eclipses have been visible from the United States during the 21st century. The first was the total solar eclipse of 2017, which was visible across the country. This was the first time such an event had occurred since 1918, and millions gathered to watch.
The April 8, 2024, eclipse will be the next total solar eclipse visible in the U.S. The path of totality for this eclipse will stretch from Texas to the Northeast. The eclipse will start on Mexico’s Pacific coast at just after 11 a.m. PDT before traveling across the U.S. and into Canada. The eclipse will leave North America around 5:19 p.m. EDT.
The eclipse is expected to attract millions of spectators. Some areas where the event will be most visible have already declared local states of emergency to account for the number of expected visitors.
When will the next total solar eclipse be visible in the U.S.?
The U.S. won’t see another total solar eclipse for decades, CBS News previously reported. The next total solar eclipse visible from the United States will occur in August 2044.
Total solar eclipses happen every one to three years, but the events are usually only visible from Earth’s poles or from the middle of the ocean.
CBS News
American and U.K. climbers rescued after 2 days stranded on Himalayan mountains in India
An American climber was rescued after she and another alpinist from the U.K. were stranded for two days at more than 20,000 feet in the Himalayan mountains.
Michelle Dvorak, 31, and Fay Manners, 37, went missing on Thursday after their equipment and food tumbled down a ravine while trekking up India’s Chaukhamba mountain, CBS News partner BBC reported.
The pair sent an emergency message but search and rescue teams were unable to find them.
Manners told the BBC they were “terrified” as they tried to make part of the descent down the treacherous mountains without supplies.
“I watched the bag tumble down the mountain and I immediately knew the consequence of what was to come,” she said. “We had none of our safety equipment left. No tent. No stove to melt snow for water. No warm clothes for the evening.”
The terrifying ordeal intensified when it started to snow. They took cover on a ledge while waiting for rescuers.
“I felt hypothermic, constantly shaking and with the lack of food my body was running out of energy to keep warm,” Manners said.
The rescue was made difficult because of the conditions, including bad weather, fog and high altitude.
“The helicopter flew passed again, couldn’t see us. We were destroyed,” Manners told the BBC.
On the second day, the pair began to cautiously abseil down the mountain. They spotted a team of French climbers coming toward them. Manners said they shared their equipment and food and contacted the helicopter company with an exact location.
“I cried with relief knowing we might survive,” she said.
The Indian Air Force said in a post on the X social media platform that their helicopter airlifted the climbers from 17,400 feet after “battling two days of bad weather.”
Chaukhamba is a mountain massif in the Garhwal Himalaya in northern India.
CBS News
Biden sends more troops to North Carolina for continued Hurricane Helene response
President Biden approved the mobilization of another 500 active-duty troops to North Carolina to assist in the recovery efforts after the deadly and devastating Hurricane Helene.
“With a total of 1,500 troops now supplementing a robust on-the-ground effort – including more than 6,100 National Guardsmen and more than 7,000 Federal personnel – the Biden-Harris Administration is mobilizing all relevant resources to support families as they begin their road to rebuilding,” the White House said in a statement Sunday.
Mr. Biden previously announced that the federal government would cover “100%” of costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures in North Carolina for six months. The Biden administration has also released more than $137 million in federal funds – including $100 million in transportation funds for North Carolina to begin rebuilding damaged roads and bridges.
More than 800 people unable to return home are staying in lodging provided through FEMA, and 22 shelters are still housing nearly 1,000 people as mobile feeding operations continue to help survivors.
“My Administration is sparing no resource to support families as they begin their road to rebuilding,” Biden said. “We will continue working hand-in-hand with local and state leaders – regardless of political party and no matter how long it takes.”
Earlier Sunday, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tills called for more resources to bolster the relief effort and likened the damage to Hurricane Katrina’s mark on Louisiana in 2005.
“The scope of this storm is more like Katrina,” he told CBS News’ Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan”. “It may look like a flood to the outside observer, but again, this is a landmass roughly the size of the state of Massachusetts, with damage distributed throughout. We have to get maximum resources on the ground immediately to finish rescue operations.”
Mr. Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have all traveled to some of the impacted regions.
Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage from Florida into the Appalachian mountains and killed more than 225 people across multiple states. That number includes 114 killed in North Carolina alone.
The White House said Mr. Biden has also been briefed on Hurricane Milton, which is forecast to make landfall in Florida’s Tampa Bay area as a major storm on Wednesday.
U.S. disaster relief chief blasts false claims about Helene response
Deanne Criswell, who leads the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said on Sunday that the recent false claims and conspiracy theories about the federal response to the storm are “demoralizing” aid workers.
“It’s frankly ridiculous, and just plain false. This kind of rhetoric is not helpful to people,” she said. “It’s really a shame that we’re putting politics ahead of helping people, and that’s what we’re here to do. We have had the complete support of the state,” she said, referring to North Carolina.
Republicans, led by Trump, have helped foster a frenzy of misinformation over the past week among the communities most devastated by Helene, promoting a number of false claims, including that Washington is intentionally withholding aid to people in Republican areas.
Trump accused FEMA of spending all its money to help immigrants who are in the United States illegally, while other critics assert that the government spends too much on Israel, Ukraine and other foreign countries.
Tillis, a Republican, on Sunday rejected that claim, telling “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that resources being used on immigration is “not yet … affecting the flow of resources to western North Carolina.”
Tillis said the stream of misinformation about relief efforts in North Carolina is a “distraction.”
“I believe that we have to stay focused on rescue operations, recovery operations, clearing operations, and we don’t need any of these distractions on the ground,” Tillis said. “It’s at the expense of hard-working first responders and people that are just trying to recover their lives.”
Mr. Biden said in a statement Sunday that his administration “will continue working hand-in-hand with local and state leaders –- regardless of political party and no matter how long it takes.”
CBS News
Rep. Mike Turner says all “candidates need to deescalate” after Trump assassination attempts
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