Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970. It was initiated in the United States by Senator Gaylord Nelson to raise awareness about environmental issues, with broad participation that helped spur environmental policies and the modern environmental movement. The idea also has roots in a global Earth Day concept proposed earlier by John McConnell in 1969, though the widely observed date in many countries marks the 1970 U.S. kickoff. If you’d like, I can pull the most up-to-date summaries from Earth Day’s official site for the latest context and milestones.[1][2][3][5][8]
Sources
Gaylord Nelson, the late U.S. senator and governor of Wisconsin, is considered the founder of Earth Day, which started in 1970.
www.cbsnews.comEarth Day is an annual global event on April 22 that celebrates Earth and raises public awareness about the environment.
www.livescience.comVisit the official Earth Day site to learn about the world's largest environmental movement and what you can do to make every day Earth Day.
www.earthday.orgSiskiyou National Forest in California; detail of a DOCUMERICA image. (National Archives ID 542848) The first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970. Recognized by many as the birth of the U.S. environmental movement, the nationwide demonstration spurred a dramatic rise in public concern about environmental issues.
www.archives.govOver 50 years ago an environmental disaster got the ball rolling to create an event that would finally address an issue so important as our environment.
en.as.comThe General Assembly designated 22 April as International Mother Earth Day through a resolution adopted in 2009, but the roots of the Day go back to the 1970s.
www.un.orgAcknowledging 55 years, EARTHDAY.ORG highlights global impact, renewable energy goals, climate education advocacy, and actions like cleanups and tree planting.
www.earthday.orgWhat do the campaigners behind Earth Day want to achieve and how did the decades-old event come about? Sky News looks at why and how the day is marked.
news.sky.comThe first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970.
oceanservice.noaa.gov