The birth of photography opened the doors to a new kind of art, one that recorded events with the immediacy not possible with painting and drawing. This volume is a chronologically arranged compendium of memorable images of unforgettable people, places, and moments. Including images recording humankind conquering the air, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbing Mount Everest, and the attack on the World Trade Center, this volume features double-page spreads that create a visual timeline. From war to nature, movie stars to artists, the surface of Mars to the devastation of Katrina, this thoroughly up-to-date record captures historical moments such as the horror of the Japanese tsunami and the excitement of the political revolution in the Middle East. Recording moments both intimate and earth-shaking, these photographs speak volumes about where we've been and the direction we're headed.