Origins & Early Life

James Edward Hansen (born March 29, 1941) is an American climatologist. He is an adjunct professor directing the Program on Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions at Columbia University. He is best known for his research in climatology, his 1988 Congressional testimony on climate change that helped raise broad awareness of global warming, and his advocacy of action to avoid dangerous climate change. In recent years, he has become a climate activist to mitigate the effects of global warming, on a few occasions leading to his arrest.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In 2000, Hansen had proposed an alternative scenario for combating the threat of global warming by focusing on reducing non-CO2 greenhouse gases (GHGs). His estimates of global climate had found that non-CO2 GHGs (such as methane) caused more observed global warming than carbon dioxide. However, he pointed out that CO2 would become the dominant climate forcing, if global emissions continued to rise. Hansen was born in Denison, Iowa, to James Ivan Hansen and Gladys Ray Hansen. He was trained in physics and astronomy in the space science program of James Van Allen at the University of Iowa.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He obtained a B.A. in physics and...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adnan Khayr Allah — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): Iraqi military officer and Minister of Defense, closely associated with the Ba'ath regime.
• Alan Mullery — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): Iconic English footballer and manager known for his time at Fulham and Spurs.
• Aldrich Ames — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): American CIA analyst and notorious Soviet spy convicted of espionage.
• Agnès Varda — Shared historical date (03-29 · Died) (2019): Pioneering French filmmaker, artist, and documentarian celebrated for her unique vision.
• Alexei Abrikosov (physicist) — Shared historical date (03-29 · Died) (2017): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for low-temperature condensed matter physics.
• Alex Ferguson — Historical peer (Born in 1941) (1941): Legendary Scottish football manager, most famous for his unparalleled success with Manchester United.
• Alfonso XIII — Historical peer (Died in 1941) (1941): King of Spain (1886-1931), whose reign spanned constitutional crises and republican upheaval.
• Abdul Basit 'Abd us-Samad — Historical peer (Died in 1988) (1988): Renowned Egyptian Quran reciter, celebrated for his melodious and emotionally engaging style.
• Abdul Ghaffar Khan — Historical peer (Died in 1988) (1988): Pioneering nonviolent activist, founder of Khudai Khidmatgar, and advocate for Hindu-Muslim unity.
• A. E. van Vogt — Historical peer (Died in 2000) (2000): Influential Canadian-American science fiction writer known for bizarre narratives.
• 1941 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1941
• March 29 (03-29) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on March 29