Rachel Carson had an older sister named Marian who died in January of 1937 from pneumonia. Her younger brother, Robert McLean Carson, was born in 1939.
Carson is famous for her research on pesticide use. She wrote the book "Silent Spring" in 1962 to detail the dangers of pesticides. The pesticide and chemical industries were forced to mount intense publicity campaigns as a result of her book.
By testifying before Congress in 1963, Carson paved the way for the first legislation regulating pesticides. Though she died in 1964 of breast cancer, her book remains influential. It was used to support the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970.