It was named after James A. Van Allen, an American scientist and one of the original organizers of the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58.
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He conducted ionospheric research in the Arctic and Antarctic regions and is the discoverer of the Van Allen radiation belts.
Ludwig van Beethoven | Woody Allen | Allen Ginsberg | Vincent van Gogh | Van Morrison | Van Halen | Gus Van Sant | Anthony van Dyck | Ellen van Dijk | Tim Allen | Allen County, Indiana | Allen County | Van Diemen's Land | Van | Steve Allen | Martin Van Buren | Eddie Van Halen | Peter Allen | Melvin Van Peebles | Jean-Claude Van Damme | Jan van Eyck | Armin van Buuren | Ethan Allen | Van Cliburn | Townes Van Zandt | Paul Allen | Debbie Allen | Booz Allen Hamilton | Van, Turkey | Tony Allen |
There are two elementary schools, Columbus Elementary (K-2 grades) and Van Allen Elementary (3–5 grades); one middle school, Chariton Middle School (6–8 grades); and one high school, Chariton High School (9–12).
Written by Tim Firth, with additional material by Michael Marshall Smith and Peter Baynham, it told the story of a fan cruise held in honour of The Children of Castor, a fictitious 1980s post-apocalyptic sci-fi TV series, starring Andy Van Allen (Brydon) and Nick Lee (Coogan).