Last week, on July 10, the National Park Service with cooperation from the National Weather Service in Las Vegas, held a special event in Death Valley to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 134 degree reading that was recorded at the Greenland Ranch in Death Valley on July 10, 1913. The 134 degree high recorded that day 100 years ago is considered the highest temperature recorded on earth.
It is remarkable that a higher temperature has never been recorded in the past century. There are two possible reasons for this. One, you need an accurate sensor at the correct time and location, and two, Death Valley, clearly one of the hottest locations on earth, has changed very little in the past century. Whereas, the location of many other weather sensors on earth have developed a significant warm biases because the temperature is now measured in highly urbanized locations.
Some day the record will likely be broken, but for now, not even Death Valley can break its own record from a century ago.