On July 10th, 1913 the weather observer at Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, California recorded a high temperature of 134°F (56.7°C). This is the highest reliably recorded air temperature on Earth.

Death Valley's record temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit (56.7 degrees Celsius) - the hottest ever measured on Earth - was set exactly 100 years ago. But the tale of how the rocky expanse of California desert came to be known as the world's hottest place involves a lengthy stretch in the number two slot, a mission to set the record straight, and a scientist who disappeared amid a revolution.