born May 27, 1907, Springdale, Pa., U.S.
died April 14, 1964, Silver Spring, Md.
U.S. biologist and science writer.
Carson trained as a marine biologist and had a long career at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Sea Around Us (1951) won a National Book Award. Her prophetic Silent Spring (1962), about the dangers of pesticides in the food chain, is regarded as the seminal work in the history of the environmental movement, which in some respects can be seen to date from its publication.