Earth Day is an annual event held on April 22 to show support for protecting the environment. It was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, and now includes many events around the world, organized through earthday.org. These events involve more than 1 billion people in over 193 countries.
In 1969, during a UNESCO conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell suggested a day to honor Earth and the idea of peace. This day was planned for March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. Later, McConnell helped create a proclamation about this day, which was approved by United Nations Secretary General U Thant. A month later, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed holding a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. He hired Denis Hayes, a young activist, to organize the event. The name "Earth Day" was created by advertising writer Julian Koenig. Hayes and his team expanded the event to include people across the entire United States.
Non-environmental groups also helped. For example, labor leader Walter Reuther led the United Auto Workers (UAW), which provided major financial and operational support for the first Earth Day. Denis Hayes said, "Without the UAW, the first Earth Day would have likely failed." Later, Senator Nelson was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work.
The first Earth Day focused only on the United States. In 1990, Denis Hayes, who had organized the first event, expanded Earth Day internationally, holding events in 141 countries. In 2016, the Paris Agreement was signed by the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and 120 other countries. This agreement was a key step in making a major climate protection treaty effective, as agreed by 195 nations at a 2015 United Nations meeting in Paris. Many communities held "Earth Day Week actions," a week of events focused on global environmental issues. In 2020, over 100 million people worldwide celebrated the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, which is now the largest civic event globally.
1969 Santa Barbara oil spill
On January 28, 1969, an oil well called Platform A, drilled by Union Oil 6 miles (10 km) off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, had a blowout. More than 3 million U.S. gallons (2.5 million imperial gallons; 11 million liters) of oil spilled, killing over 10,000 seabirds, dolphins, seals, and sea lions. In response to this disaster, activists worked to create environmental rules, teach people about protecting the environment, and start Earth Day. People who helped fight the disaster, such as Selma Rubin, Marc McGinnes, and Bud Bottoms, founder of Get Oil Out, supported Earth Day. Denis Hayes, who organized the first Earth Day, explained 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, and the Declaration of Environmental Rights was read. Rod Nash wrote the declaration during a boat trip across the Santa Barbara Channel, using a copy of Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence for inspiration. Marc McGinnes, who organized 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 introduced after public concern about the oil spill and the Declaration of Environmental Rights. Congressman 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 and discussed it at the Environmental Rights Day conference. Francis Sarguis said the conference was an important starting point for the environmental movement. Denis Hayes noted that this was the first large group he spoke to that showed strong support for environmental issues. He believed the conference could mark the start of a meaningful movement. Rod Nash, Garrett Hardin, Marc McGinnes, and others later helped create the first college-level Environmental Studies program at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Earth Day 1970
The idea for the first Earth Day began with many people, including Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. A strong supporter of protecting 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 Cuyahua River fire in 1969 made Nelson believe the time was right for action. After talking with his staff and Fred Dutton, a political advisor who worked for Robert Kennedy, Nelson thought that environmental teach-ins on college campuses could help raise awareness.
At the same time, other groups in the United States were also discussing ways to celebrate the Earth. In 2024, Martha Ames Burgess, an ethnobotanist from Arizona, shared that in 1968, University of Arizona students and professors, including Stephen M. Russell, 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 debate about the war and helped students become activists. Nelson asked lawyer Anthony Roisman to create a nonprofit called Environmental Teach-In, Inc., to organize the campaign. He also asked Republican Congressman Pete McCloskey to co-lead the group to make it bipartisan and include 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 young people used to change opinions about the war and civil rights could be used to address environmental problems. He encouraged teach-ins at many other events. A November speech at Airlie House caught the attention of a New York Times reporter, leading to a front-page article. This article increased interest in the campaign. Denis Hayes, a Harvard graduate student, contacted Nelson and was asked to organize Earth Day in Boston.
Hayes suggested using the term "coordinators" instead of "directors" because the movement had a more equal structure. He became the national coordinator and hired people to manage different parts of the campaign, such as press, schools, and volunteers. At its peak, the group had a few dozen paid staff, each earning $375 a month (about $3,292 in 2025), and over 100 volunteers.
As coordinators spread across the country, they faced two problems. First, the word "teach-in" had become less popular. Second, many college activists were focused on anti-war and civil rights work and saw environmental issues as less important.
The solution came from Julian Koenig, a famous advertising executive. He suggested using the name "Earth Day" instead of "teach-in." Koenig liked the name because April 22 was his birthday, and "birthday" rhymes with "Earth Day." Hayes agreed, and Koenig created an ad that became very successful. The ad appeared in The New York Times and helped Earth Day become the name everyone used.
The ad raised enough money to cover costs and inspired thousands to join the campaign. Magazines and newspapers later printed the ad for free, helping the movement grow. The group changed its name to "Environmental Action" to promote Earth Day.
Bryce Hamilton, who managed Midwest activities, became the K–12 coordinator. He worked with teachers’ groups to involve over 10,000 schools in Earth Day events like clean-ups and tree planting.
Walt Kelly created a poster with his comic character Pogo, showing the quote, "We have met the enemy and he is us," to promote Earth Day. Environmental groups now use Earth Day to encourage action and change policies.
On the first Earth Day in 1970, about 20 million Americans participated in events calling for 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 joining 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, Toxic Substances Control Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. During this time, the Environmental Protection Agency was created, and the use of DDT and lead in gasoline was banned. Jimmy Carter was president 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 the street 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. These events raised the importance of environmental issues globally 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.
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 original founder of Earth Day, was the honorary chairman for both groups. The groups did not work together because they disagreed about leadership, organization, and strategies. Some members of the Earth Day 20 Foundation criticized Earth Day 1990 for including Hewlett-Packard, a company that was the second-largest producer of chlorofluorocarbons in Silicon Valley and did not switch to alternative solvents. Earth Day 20 used a grassroots approach, relying on local groups like the National Toxics Campaign, a coalition of 1,000 groups in Boston focused on industrial pollution. Earth Day 1990 used strategies such as focus group testing, direct mail fundraising, and email marketing.
The Earth Day 20 Foundation held events in George, Washington, near the Columbia River. These events included a live satellite phone call with climbers from the Earth Day 20 International Peace Climb, who were on Mount Everest. The climbers pledged support for world peace and environmental issues. The International Peace Climb was led by Jim Whittaker, the first American to reach the top of Mount Everest, and included climbers from the United States, Soviet Union, and China. The group collected over two tons of trash left on Mount Everest from earlier climbs. The event’s master of ceremonies was John Ratzenberger, a TV actor from Cheers, and the headlining musician was Chuck Berry, known as the "Father of Rock and Roll."
In 1990, Warner Bros. Records released an Earth Day-themed song called "Tomorrow's World." The song was written by Kix Brooks (who later became part of Brooks & Dunn) and Pam Tillis. It featured vocals from many musicians, including Lynn Anderson, Butch Baker, Shane Barmby, Billy Hill, Suzy Bogguss, Kix Brooks, T. Graham Brown, The Burch Sisters, Holly Dunn, Foster & Lloyd, Vince Gill, William Lee Golden, Highway 101, Shelby Lynne, Johnny Rodriguez, Dan Seals, Les Taylor, Pam Tillis, Mac Wiseman, and Kevin Welch. 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 share messages. It included participation from 5,000 environmental groups, and activism took place in 184 countries.
Google’s first Earth Day doodle appeared 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 teach about water.
The Campaign for Communities, led by the NAACP and Latino organizations like the Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project, organized events in low-income communities across the U.S. These events included clean-ups, park improvements, and town halls that connected environmental issues with community and social justice.
In 2004, Earth Day Network and its partners focused on voter registration, helping hundreds of thousands of people register to vote. Major tree planting events also took place. Other U.S. events included an annual cleanup in Dayton, Ohio, and a conference in Seattle, Washington, about environmental health and justice.
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 held in most EU countries. Key events included a "Festival on Climate Change" in Utrecht, Netherlands, which discussed reducing dependence on oil. Denis Hayes, the founder of Earth Day, and others from the Netherlands, EU parliament, and NGOs attended. Denis Hayes also spoke at a conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, about the Chernobyl disaster. Events in China, Russia, the U.S., and other places included education about energy savings, scientific panels on 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, education for K–12 students, clean-ups in cities and rural areas, and water projects. These efforts aimed to grow a 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 ask Congress to stop allowing pollution permits without limits, require faster reductions in carbon emissions, and use money from carbon taxes for public benefit. Earth Day Network partnered with the Green Apple Music & Arts Festival to hold events in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, where over 200,000 people attended. Millions more were reached through media.
A campaign called the "Global Warming in the Pulpit Pledge" encouraged priests, ministers, and other faith leaders in the U.S. and Canada to speak about climate change as a moral issue.
Earth Day 2008 inspired millions of people worldwide to call for climate action. In the U.S., the campaign asked people to make one million calls to Congress about climate change legislation. Large climate rallies happened in eight U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C., New York, and Los Angeles, with about 350,000 people attending. Leaders like Edward Norton, Thomas Friedman, and James Hansen spoke, and media outlets like CNN covered the events.
The 2009 National Teach-In on Global Warming Solutions reached college campuses, civic groups, and faith communities across the U.S. Members of Congress spoke to students via video conference.
An estimated one billion people took action for Earth Day’s 40th anniversary. Around 20,000 partners worked on climate change and environmental issues through rallies, the Billion Acts of Green campaign, and plans to build a green economy. Over 200 elected officials in 39 countries participated in dialogues about creating sustainable economies. Students worldwide helped with school clean-ups, solar energy projects, gardens, and environmental education. Earth Day Network partnered with Twentieth Century Fox 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 people to demand climate legislation from Congress in 2010.
With the Peace Corps, Earth Day Network helped local volunteers in Ukraine, the Philippines, Georgia, Albania, and Kolkata, India, with education programs, tree planting, clean-ups, and recycling events.
Morocco announced a National Charter for the Environment and Sustainable Development, the first of its kind in Africa and the Arab world, and pledged to plant one million trees as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations.
A new episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, titled "SpongeBob's Last Stand," aired in 2011.
In 2011, Earth Day events included an environmental forum for local leaders, the first Earth Day celebration in Tunis City, and school events in Iraq. In 17 countries with severe deforestation, Earth Day Network planted over 1.1 million trees. More than 100 million Billion Acts of Green were recorded worldwide. President Clinton recognized the Billion Acts of Green project at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2011.
In 2012, Earth Day Network reached one billion acts of environmental service, announcing the achievement at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio. The Billion Acts of Green campaign is described as the largest global effort to encourage individual and organizational environmental actions.
Earth Day 2020–2030
Earth Day 2020 marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Events 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. Activities focused on five areas: citizen science, volunteering, community engagement, education, and the role of art in supporting environmental causes.
The Earth Day 2021 theme 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 lead organizers, including Education International, Hip Hop Caucus, and Earth Uprising, held three separate climate action summits focused 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, international leaders, and influencers.
The Biden administration organized a 2021 Leaders' Climate Summit. This online meeting included 40 world leaders and many speakers, such as Pope Francis, Xiye Bastida, Danielle Merfeld (Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, GE Renewable Energy), Anna Borg (President and CEO, Vattenfall), and Abdullah Subai (Minister of Municipality and Environment, Qatar).
The Earth Day 2022 theme 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 noted that 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 various 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 raise awareness about the health risks of microplastics, earthday.org released its report "Babies vs. Plastics," which summarized recent scientific findings on the topic. The Guardian newspaper published an Op Ed about the report, noting that children in the Global South are most affected by exposure to microplastics.
The Earth Day 2025 theme 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. It was organized by Paul D. Tinari, who was a graduate student in Engineering Physics/Solar Engineering at Queen's University. Flora MacDonald, who was the MP for Kingston and the Islands and had previously served as Canada's Secretary of State for External Affairs, officially began Earth Day Week on September 6, 1980. She planted a tree in a ceremony and encouraged MPs and MPPs across Canada to declare an annual Earth Day. The main activities on the first Earth Day included lectures by environmental experts, students cleaning up garbage along roads and highways, and planting 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 beginning of astronomical autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. In astronomy, an equinox is the moment when the Sun is directly above the Earth’s equator. This occurs around March 20 and September 23 each year. In many cultures, equinoxes and solstices are used to mark 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 proclamation was made 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 event.
In 1972, UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim observed Earth Day during the March equinox with ceremonies. The United Nations has continued this tradition every year on the March equinox, alongside the global Earth Day event on April 22. Margaret Mead supported the equinox Earth Day, and in 1978, she publicly endorsed it.
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. For example, on March 20, 2008, events occurred at the United Nations, in New Zealand, and in cities such as California, Vienna, Paris, Lithuania, and Tokyo. The equinox Earth Day at the UN is organized by the Earth Society Foundation.
Earth Day celebrations include ringing the Peace Bell in cities like Vienna, Berlin, and others around the world. A notable event took place at the UN in Geneva, where a “Minute for Peace” was held by ringing the Japanese Shinagawa Peace Bell, organized by the Geneva Friendship Association and the Global Youth Foundation. This event followed a period of mourning for the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster that occurred ten days earlier.
The Spring Equinox in September marks the beginning of spring in the Southern Hemisphere and is equally important as the Northern Hemisphere’s Spring Equinox. The International Day of Peace, celebrated on September 21, 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 conference called the Human Ecology Symposium. This event brought scientists together to discuss 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 support from U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, the first Earth Day was held.
Before Earth Day, an event called Project Survival was held at Northwestern University on January 23, 1970. This was one of several events held at universities across the United States to prepare for Earth Day. Around the same time, Ralph Nader began speaking about the importance of protecting the environment.
The 1960s were a time of growth for environmental studies in the United States. Before 1960, local efforts in Nassau County, New York, opposed the use of DDT, a harmful chemical. People also protested open-air nuclear weapons tests, which caused dangerous radiation spread around the world. These events inspired Rachel Carson to write Silent Spring, a book published in 1962 that became very influential.
Senator Nelson chose April 22, 1970, for Earth Day because it was a time when many college students would be available. He selected this date because it did not overlap with exams, spring breaks, or religious holidays like Easter or Passover. It also had good weather and fewer competing events. The date was also close to the birthday of John Muir, a famous conservationist. The National Park Service honors John Muir’s legacy with a celebration called Birthday–Earth Day near Earth Day each year.
Unbeknownst to Nelson, April 22, 1970, was also the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Lenin, a leader in the Soviet Union. Some people believed this was not a coincidence and thought Earth Day was linked to communist ideas. A member of the Daughters of the American Revolution claimed that the event might be an attempt to influence young people. J. Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI, may have been interested in the connection between Earth Day and Lenin. It was reported that the FBI watched the 1970 demonstrations. Some people still believe the date was chosen to honor Lenin, possibly because of a tradition called subbotnik, which required people to do community work like cleaning public spaces. The Soviet Union celebrated subbotnik on Lenin’s birthday, which was made a national holiday in 1955.
Criticisms
Some people criticize Earth Day by saying the environmental movement mainly includes middle-class people and is against businesses. They argue that this movement focuses on mainstream conservation efforts and does not address the needs of minorities and low-income communities who face environmental racism and classism.
Another concern is that Earth Day has been celebrated for many years, and its repeated observance may give the false idea that the actions people are taking now are enough to prevent future environmental problems.