Origins & Early Life

John Robert McNeill (born October 6, 1954) is an American environmental historian, author, and professor at Georgetown University. He is best known for "pioneering the study of environmental history". In 2000 he published Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-Century World, which argues that human activity during the 20th century led to environmental changes on an unprecedented scale, primarily due to the energy system built around fossil fuels. McNeill was born on October 6, 1954, in Chicago, Illinois.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His father was the noted University of Chicago historian William H. McNeill, with whom he published a book, The Human Web: A Bird's-eye View of World History, in 2003. He attended the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. McNeill received his BA from Swarthmore College in 1975, then went on to Duke University where he completed his MA in 1977 and his PhD in 1981. In 1985 he became a faculty member at Georgetown University, where he serves in both the History Department and the Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

From 2003 he held the Cinco Hermanos Chair in Environmental History and International Affairs, until he was appointed...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aarathi — Contemporary (Born in 1954) (1954): Veteran Indian actress celebrated for her roles in Kannada cinema during the 1970s and 1980s.
• Alan Turing — Contemporary (Died in 1954) (1954): Father of theoretical computer science, known for the Turing machine and codebreaking.
• André Derain — Contemporary (Died in 1954) (1954): Pioneering French painter, co-founder of Fauvism, known for vibrant colorism and later classicism.
• Anwar Sadat — Shared historical date (10-06 · Died) (1981): Egyptian President who spearheaded economic reform and the peace treaty with Israel.
• Basil Zaharoff — Shared historical date (10-06 · Born) (1849): Greek industrialist and arms dealer, known as a 'merchant of death' in global conflicts.
• Ang Lee — Historical peer (Born in 1954) (1954): Acclaimed Taiwanese filmmaker known for exploring deep, repressed human emotions.
• Angela Merkel — Historical peer (Born in 1954) (1954): German stateswoman who served as Chancellor from 2005 to 2021.
• A. E. van Vogt — Historical peer (Died in 2000) (2000): Influential Canadian-American science fiction writer known for bizarre narratives.
• Abraham Pais — Historical peer (Died in 2000) (2000): Pioneering physicist and acclaimed science historian of modern physics.
• Alberto Sordi — Historical peer (Died in 2003) (2003): Pillar of Italian Cinema, master of Commedia all'italiana comedy.
• 1954 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1954
• October 6 (10-06) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 6