https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/maximize-your-odds-of-seeing-the-great-american-solar-eclipse/

A total eclipse of the sun occurs somewhere on Earth about every 16 months on average. But the narrow band of complete darkness often falls on remote areas, for a brief time. The upcoming August 21 total eclipse is uncommon because it will darken populated areas across the entire continental U.S. The last such event over the U.S. was on February 26, 1979, and that was limited to the Northwestern region of the country along with western Canada.

The sight of the sun’s dramatic corona, the quick drop in air temperature, the stirring of winds and the rapid rise back to daylight are all so striking that eclipse chasers are going to great lengths to experience these wonders.