Earth Day is a yearly event held on April 22 to show support for protecting the environment. First celebrated on April 22, 1970, it now includes many events organized worldwide through earthday.org (formerly Earth Day Network). These events involve over 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.
In 1969, at a UNESCO conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell suggested a day to honor Earth and the idea of peace. This day was first planned for March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This day of nature’s balance was later approved in a statement written by McConnell and signed by United Nations Secretary General U Thant. A month later, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed holding a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. He hired Denis Hayes, a young activist, to manage the event. The name "Earth Day" was created by Julian Koenig, an advertising writer. Hayes and his team expanded the event beyond the original teach-in idea to include the entire United States.
Important groups not focused on the environment helped make Earth Day successful. For example, under the leadership of labor leader Walter Reuther, the United Auto Workers (UAW) was the most helpful outside supporter, providing financial and operational help for the first Earth Day. Denis Hayes said, "Without the UAW, the first Earth Day would have likely failed!" Gaylord Nelson later received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work.
The first Earth Day focused only on the United States. In 1990, Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, expanded Earth Day to include events in 141 countries. On Earth Day 2016, the Paris Agreement was signed by the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and 120 other countries. This agreement met a key requirement for the Paris climate protection treaty, which was agreed upon by all 195 nations present at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. Many communities participated in "Earth Day Week actions," a week of activities addressing global environmental issues. On Earth Day 2020, over 100 million people worldwide celebrated the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, now the largest civic event in the world.
1969 Santa Barbara oil spill
On January 28, 1969, an oil well named Platform A, operated by Union Oil and located 6 miles (10 km) off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, experienced a blowout. Over 3 million U.S. gallons (2.5 million imperial gallons; 11 million liters) of oil spilled into the ocean, causing the deaths of more than 10,000 seabirds, dolphins, seals, and sea lions. In response to this event, activists worked to develop environmental rules, educational programs, and Earth Day. People who helped fight the disaster, including Selma Rubin, Marc McGinnes, and Bud Bottoms, founder of Get Oil Out, supported Earth Day. Denis Hayes, who organized the first Earth Day, noted that Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin was inspired to create Earth Day after seeing an 800-square-mile (2,100 km²) oil slick from an airplane in the Santa Barbara Channel.
Santa Barbara's Environmental Rights Day 1970
On January 28, 1970, one year after the oil spill, Environmental Rights Day was established. At this event, the Declaration of Environmental Rights was read. Rod Nash wrote the declaration during a boat trip across the Santa Barbara Channel, and he carried a copy of Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence with him. Marc McGinnes, the leader of Environmental Rights Day, worked with Congressman Pete McCloskey (R-CA) for several months to help create the National Environmental Policy Act. This law was the first of many new environmental protection laws inspired by public concern about the oil spill and the Declaration of Environmental Rights. Congressman Pete McCloskey, who also co-chaired Earth Day with Senator Gaylord Nelson, and Earth Day organizer Denis Hayes, along with Senator Alan Cranston, Paul Ehrlich, David Brower, and other leaders, supported the Declaration. They spoke about it at the Environmental Rights Day conference. Francis Sarguis said the conference was "like the starting point for the movement." Denis Hayes noted that this was the first large group he addressed that "felt strongly, really strongly, about environmental issues." He believed the conference might mark the beginning of a real environmental movement. Rod Nash, Garrett Hardin, Marc McGinnes, and others later created the first college-level Environmental Studies program at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Earth Day 1970
The idea for Earth Day was started by many people, including Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. A strong supporter of the environment and a former governor of Wisconsin, Nelson wanted to make environmental issues more important in politics. Events like Rachel Carson’s 1962 book Silent Spring, the 1968 NASA photo of Earth from the Moon, news about the Santa Barbara oil spill, and the Cuyahoga River fire in 1969 made Nelson believe the time was right for an environmental movement. After talking with his staff and Fred Dutton, a political advisor, Nelson thought that environmental teach-ins on college campuses could help raise awareness.
At the same time, other groups were also discussing ways to celebrate the Earth. In 2024, Martha Ames Burgess, an ethnobotanist, shared that in 1968, students and professors at the University of Arizona met at Chiricahua National Monument to plan a celebration of Earth. This meeting led to another idea for Earth Day.
Teach-ins had already been held on college campuses to discuss the Vietnam War. These events showed the public’s divided opinions about the war. Nelson wanted to use teach-ins to focus on environmental issues instead. He asked lawyer Anthony Roisman to create a non-profit group called Environmental Teach-In, Inc., and recruited a board of directors. He also asked Republican Congressman Pete McCloskey to co-lead the board to ensure the effort had support from both political parties.
On September 20, 1969, Senator Nelson announced his plan for an "environmental teach-in" during a speech at the University of Washington. He believed that the same energy students had shown for ending the Vietnam War and fighting for civil rights could be used to address environmental problems. He encouraged teach-ins at other events, and a newspaper article about his speech helped spread the idea. Denis Hayes, a Harvard student, met with Nelson and later became the leader of the campaign.
Hayes suggested using the term "coordinators" instead of "directors" to reflect the group’s equal and less structured approach. He hired people to help with different parts of the campaign, like regional planning and media. At its peak, the group had about 30 paid staff, each earning $375 a month (worth about $3,292 in 2025), and over 100 volunteers.
As the campaign grew, two problems arose. First, the word "teach-in" had become less popular. Second, many college activists were focused on the anti-war and civil rights movements and saw environmental issues as less urgent.
A solution came when Julian Koenig, a famous advertising executive, suggested using the name "Earth Day" instead of "teach-in." Koenig liked the name because it rhymed with his birthday, April 22. Hayes agreed, and Koenig designed an ad for The New York Times. The ad was so successful that it became the name for the event. It also raised money for the campaign.
The group changed its name to Environmental Action to promote Earth Day more widely. Bryce Hamilton, a Midwest coordinator, became the K–12 coordinator and worked with teachers to involve schools. In April 1970, over 10,000 schools participated in Earth Day activities, like cleaning beaches and planting trees.
Walt Kelly created an anti-pollution poster with his comic character Pogo, using the quote "We have met the enemy and he is us." This helped promote Earth Day. On the first Earth Day in 1970, about 20 million Americans joined rallies and teach-ins to support environmental reform. Today, Earth Day is celebrated in 192 countries and organized by Earthday.org. Denis Hayes, who helped start Earth Day, says it is now the largest secular protest day in the world, with over a billion people participating each year.
Earth Day 1980
The 1970s were a time when many important environmental laws were passed. These included the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Superfund, Toxics Substances Control Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. During this time, the Environmental Protection Agency was established, and the use of DDT and lead in gasoline was prohibited. Jimmy Carter was the president of the United States during this period.
In 1980, Earth Day activities were organized by Mike McCabe and Byron Kennard. The main event in Washington, D.C., was a festival held in Lafayette Park, which is located across from the White House. The overall atmosphere was happy and full of celebration.
Earth Day 1990 to 1999
In 1990, Earth Day activities involved 200 million people across 141 countries and brought environmental issues to the attention of the world. These events greatly increased recycling efforts worldwide and helped prepare for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Unlike the first Earth Day in 1970, the 20th anniversary used better marketing tools, more television and radio coverage, and large budgets for promotion.
Two groups organized Earth Day events in 1990: The Earth Day 20 Foundation, led by Edward Furia (who was the Project Director for Earth Week in 1970), and Earth Day 1990, led by Denis Hayes (who was the National Coordinator for Earth Day in 1970). Senator Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day, served as an honorary chairman for both groups. The groups did not work together due to disagreements about leadership, organization, and strategies. Some members of the Earth Day 20 Foundation criticized the Earth Day 1990 group for including Hewlett-Packard on their board. At the time, Hewlett-Packard was the second-largest producer of chlorofluorocarbons in Silicon Valley and had not switched to alternative solvents. The Earth Day 20 Foundation focused on local groups, such as the National Toxics Campaign in Boston, while Earth Day 1990 used methods like focus groups, direct mail, and email marketing.
The Earth Day 20 Foundation held events in George, Washington, near the Columbia River. A live satellite phone call connected people at the event with climbers on Mount Everest who participated in the Earth Day 20 International Peace Climb. The climbers, led by Jim Whittaker (the first American to reach the top of Mount Everest), included people from the United States, Soviet Union, and China. This was the first time climbers from these countries worked together on a mountain. The group collected over two tons of trash left on Mount Everest by earlier expeditions. John Ratzenberger, a TV actor from Cheers, hosted the event, and Chuck Berry, known as the "Father of Rock and Roll," performed music.
In 1990, Warner Bros. Records released a song called "Tomorrow's World" to celebrate Earth Day. The song was written by Kix Brooks (who later formed the duo Brooks & Dunn) and Pam Tillis. It featured vocals from many musicians, including Lynn Anderson, Butch Baker, and Vince Gill. The song reached number 74 on the Hot Country Songs chart on May 5, 1990.
Earth Day 2000–2019
The first Earth Day of the new millennium focused on global warming and clean energy. This Earth Day used the Internet to help activists communicate. It included participation from 5,000 environmental groups, and activism took place in 184 countries.
Google’s first Earth Day doodle was in 2001.
The theme for Earth Day 2003 was the Water for Life Campaign. That year, the Earth Day Network created a water quality project called "What's in Your Water?" Water-related events happened on every continent, including workshops, exhibitions, concerts, and other activities in Togo, Egypt, the Cook Islands, Jordan, Palestine, Japan, Venezuela, Slovenia, Nigeria, and Canada. Educational materials, teacher guides, water testing kits, and posters were used to focus on water.
The Campaign for Communities, led by the NAACP, Latino organizations like Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project, and other groups, organized events in low-income communities across the U.S. These events included clean-ups, park revitalization, and town halls that connected environmental issues with community and social justice causes.
In 2004, Earth Day Network and its partners worked on voter registration for Earth Day, registering hundreds of thousands of voters. Large tree-planting events also took place. Other U.S. events included an annual cleanup in Dayton, Ohio, and the 3rd Annual Community Based Solutions to Environmental Health & Justice Conference in Seattle, Washington.
The theme for Earth Day 2005 was Healthy Environments for Children.
Earth Day 2006 focused on science and faith. Events expanded into Europe, with activities and speeches in most EU countries. Key events included the "Festival on Climate Change" in Utrecht, Netherlands, which discussed breaking away from oil dependence and featured Earth Day founder Denis Hayes, Dutch and EU parliament members, NGOs, local leaders, and media. Denis Hayes also spoke at the "Chernobyl 20 Remembrance for the Future" conference in Kyiv, Ukraine. Events in China, Russia, the U.S., and other countries included education on energy savings, scientific panels, religious responses to climate change, and a "Conserve Your Energy" event in Philadelphia.
Thousands of Earth Day projects happened worldwide, including energy efficiency events, protests, letter-writing campaigns, K–12 education trainings, cleanups, and water projects. These efforts aimed to build a broader and more diverse environmental movement.
In the U.S., civil rights, religious, and social justice leaders joined Earth Day Network from April 16 to 20 to urge Congress to stop "grandfathering" pollution permits, reduce carbon emissions through legislation, and use carbon tax revenue for public benefit. Earth Day Network partnered with Green Apple Music & Arts Festival to host events in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, where more than 200,000 people attended. Millions were reached through media coverage.
The Global Warming in the Pulpit Pledge campaign encouraged faith leaders in the U.S. and Canada to preach about climate change as a moral issue.
Earth Day 2008 inspired millions worldwide to take action in a Call For Climate campaign. In the U.S., the public was challenged to make one million calls to Congress about climate legislation. Large climate rallies happened in eight major U.S. cities, with around 350,000 people attending. Washington, D.C., hosted speakers like Edward Norton, Thomas Friedman, and James Hansen, and events were covered by CNN and The Weather Channel.
The 2009 National Teach-In on Global Warming Solutions reached college campuses, civic groups, and faith communities. Members of Congress addressed schools via video conference.
An estimated one billion people took action for Earth Day’s 40th anniversary. About 20,000 partners worked on climate change and environmental issues through rallies, Billion Acts of Green™, and plans to build a green economy. Over 200 elected officials in 39 countries participated in dialogues about sustainable economies. Students worldwide joined school greenings, including cleanups, solar systems, gardens, and environmental lessons. Earth Day Network partnered with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s Avatar Home Tree Initiative to plant one million trees in 15 countries by 2010.
A climate rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., drew over 150,000 activists to demand climate legislation in 2010.
Earth Day Network partnered with the Peace Corps to implement education programs, tree plantings, cleanups, and recycling seminars in rural areas of Ukraine, the Philippines, Georgia, Albania, and Kolkata, India.
In Morocco, the government announced a National Charter for the Environment and Sustainable Development, the first of its kind in Africa and the Arab world. Morocco also pledged to plant one million trees.
Internationally, a new episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, titled "SpongeBob's Last Stand," aired.
In 2011, Earth Day events included environmental forums for political leaders and the first Earth Day celebration in Tunis City, along with school events in Iraq. In 17 of the world’s most deforested countries, over 1.1 million trees were planted. More than 100 million Billion Acts of Green were registered. At the Clinton Global Initiative in September 2011, President Clinton recognized this project as an effective way to address global challenges.
A Billion Acts of Green were achieved on Earth Day 2012. Earth Day Network announced this milestone at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio. A Billion Acts of Green is described as the world’s largest environmental service campaign, encouraging both small individual actions and large organizational efforts.
Earth Day 2020–2030
Earth Day 2020 marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Activities included the Great Global CleanUp, Citizen Science, Advocacy, Education, and art. The theme for Earth Day 2020 was "climate action." Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many planned activities were moved online. A group of youth activists, organized by the Future Coalition, hosted Earth Day Live, a three-day livestream event to remember the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in the United States. Celebratory activities focused on five areas: citizen science, volunteering, community engagement, education, and the role of art in supporting environmental causes.
The theme for Earth Day 2021 was "Restore Our Earth" and included five main programs: The Canopy Project, Food and Environment, Climate Literacy, the Global Earth Challenge, and The Great Global CleanUp. During Earth Week, earthday.org and other organizers, including Education International, Hip Hop Caucus, and Earth Uprising, held three separate climate action summits on climate literacy, environmental justice, and youth-led climate issues. Earthday.org also hosted the second annual Earth Day Live livestream event on April 22, 2021, featuring global activists, leaders, and influencers.
The Biden administration organized a 2021 Leaders' Climate Summit. This virtual meeting included 40 world leaders and many speakers, such as Pope Francis, Xiye Bastida, Danielle Merfeld, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of GE Renewable Energy, Anna Borg, President and CEO of Vattenfall, and Abdullah Subai, Minister of Municipality and Environment of Qatar.
The theme for Earth Day 2022 was "Invest in Our Planet" and included five main programs: The Great Global Cleanup, Sustainable Fashion, Climate and Environmental Literacy, The Canopy Project, Food and Environment, and the Global Earth Challenge. Earthday.org announced that the "Invest in Our Planet" theme would continue in 2023, and over one billion people participated in Earth Day 2022. On April 22, Wynn Alan Bruce self-immolated in front of the United States Supreme Court Building as a protest against climate inaction.
The official theme for 2023 was "Invest In Our Planet." On Earth Day 2023, a collection of images of Earth taken from different distances in the Solar System was published.
The theme for Earthday.org 2024 was "Planet vs. Plastics," and Earthday.org called for a 60% global reduction in plastic production by 2040.
In November 2023, to highlight the health risks of microplastics, earthday.org released its report "Babies vs. Plastics," which summarized recent scientific findings. The Guardian newspaper published an opinion piece about the report, noting that children in the Global South are most affected by microplastic exposure.
The theme for Earth Day 2025 was "Our Power, Our Planet."
Earth Day Canada
The first Canadian Earth Day (French: Jour de la Terre) took place on Thursday, September 11, 1980, and was organized by Paul D. Tinari, who was then a student studying engineering physics and solar energy at Queen's University. Flora MacDonald, who was a member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands and had previously worked as Canada's Secretary of State for External Affairs, officially started Earth Day Week on September 6, 1980, with a tree planting ceremony. She asked members of Parliament and provincial representatives across Canada to support an annual Earth Day event nationwide. The main activities on the first Earth Day included lectures by experts in environmental topics, students cleaning up trash along roads and highways, and planting new trees to replace those lost to Dutch elm disease.
History of the Equinox Earth Day (March 20)
The equinoctial Earth Day is celebrated on the March equinox, which happens around March 20. This day marks the beginning of astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of astronomical autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. In astronomy, an equinox is the exact moment (not a full day) when the Sun is directly above the Earth's equator. This occurs approximately on March 20 and September 23 each year. In many cultures, equinoxes and solstices are seen as the start or end of seasons, even though weather changes may begin earlier.
John McConnell first proposed the idea of a global holiday called "Earth Day" at the 1969 UNESCO Conference on the Environment. The first Earth Day was announced by San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto on March 21, 1970. Events were held in cities like San Francisco and Davis, California, including a multi-day street celebration. UN Secretary-General U Thant supported McConnell’s idea, and on February 26, 1971, he signed a proclamation supporting the annual event.
In 1972, United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim observed Earth Day on the March equinox with ceremonies. Since then, the United Nations has held Earth Day celebrations each year on the March equinox. The United Nations also works with organizers of the April 22 global Earth Day event. Margaret Mead supported the equinox Earth Day, and in 1978, she encouraged its observance.
During Earth Day, it is traditional to ring the Japanese Peace Bell, which Japan donated to the United Nations. This tradition has taken place in many locations worldwide on the same day as the UN ceremony. On March 20, 2008, the United Nations held a ceremony, and events also occurred in New Zealand, California, Vienna, Paris, Lithuania, Tokyo, and other places. The equinox Earth Day at the United Nations is organized by the Earth Society Foundation.
Earth Day ceremonies include ringing the Peace Bell in cities such as Vienna, Berlin, and others around the world. A notable event took place at the United Nations in Geneva, where a "Minute for Peace" was held by ringing the Japanese Shinagawa Peace Bell. This event occurred shortly after a period of mourning for the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster, which had happened ten days earlier.
In addition to the Northern Hemisphere’s Spring Equinox in March, the Southern Hemisphere’s Spring Equinox in September is also important. The International Day of Peace is celebrated on September 21, which aligns with the original goals of John McConnell, U Thant, and others.
April 22 observances
In 1968, Morton Hilbert and the U.S. Public Health Service held a meeting called the Human Ecology Symposium, which was an environmental conference for students to learn from scientists about how harm to the environment affects human health. This meeting marked the start of Earth Day. Over the next two years, Hilbert and students worked to plan the first Earth Day. In April 1970, with a statement from U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, the first Earth Day was held.
Project Survival, an early event to raise awareness about environmental issues, took place at Northwestern University on January 23, 1970. This was the first of many similar events held at universities across the United States before the first Earth Day. Around the same time, Ralph Nader began speaking about the importance of ecology.
The 1960s were an active time for ecology in the United States. Before 1960, local efforts to stop the use of DDT in Nassau County, New York, and opposition to open-air nuclear weapons testing, which caused global nuclear fallout, inspired Rachel Carson to write her influential book Silent Spring (1962).
Nelson chose April 22, 1970, for Earth Day because he wanted to maximize student participation on college campuses. He selected the week of April 19–25 because it avoided exams, spring breaks, and religious holidays like Easter or Passover. The date also had good weather and fewer competing events. Choosing Wednesday, April 22, allowed more students to attend. The date also followed the birthday of John Muir, a well-known conservationist. The National Park Service and John Muir National Historic Site celebrate Earth Day near his birthday each year with an event called Birthday–Earth Day.
Unbeknownst to Nelson, April 22, 1970, was also the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Lenin, when using the Gregorian calendar (used by the Soviet Union after 1918). Some people suspected the date was not a coincidence and believed the event was linked to communism. A member of the Daughters of the American Revolution claimed that "subversive elements" wanted to make American children live in an environment that benefits them. It was also reported that J. Edgar Hoover, director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, may have been interested in the connection between Earth Day and Lenin. It was claimed that the FBI watched the 1970 demonstrations. Some people still believe the date was chosen to honor Lenin, a belief supported by the similarity to subbotniks, which were days of community service started by Lenin in 1920. These days involved cleaning public spaces and collecting recyclable materials. Subbotniks were also required in other countries controlled by the Soviet Union, and the Soviet Union later made April 22 a national holiday to celebrate communism, as declared by Nikita Khrushchev in 1955.
Criticisms
Some people criticize Earth Day by saying the environmental movement is mainly led by middle-class individuals who focus on common environmental policies. They argue that this movement often ignores the challenges faced by minorities and people with low incomes, who are often affected by unfair environmental practices linked to race or economic status.
Another criticism is that Earth Day's repeated celebration over many years may give the false idea that people's current actions are enough to prevent serious environmental problems in the future.