Earth Day

For the measurement of time of one rotation, see Day. Not to be confused with Earth Hour.

Earth Day
The unofficial Earth Flag created by John McConnell includes The Blue Marble photograph taken by the crew of Apollo 17.
SignificanceSupport for environmental protection
Begins1970
DateApril 22
Next timeApril 22, 2025 (2025-04-22)
FrequencyAnnual

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EARTHDAY.ORG (formerly Earth Day Network)[1] including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.[1][2][3]

In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be observed on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This day of nature's equipoise was later sanctioned in a proclamation written by McConnell and signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations. A month later, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea to hold a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. He hired a young activist, Denis Hayes, to be the National Coordinator. Nelson and Hayes renamed the event "Earth Day". Denis and his staff grew the event beyond the original idea for a teach-in to include the entire United States. Key non-environmentally focused partners played major roles. Under the leadership of labor leader Walter Reuther, for example, the United Auto Workers (UAW) was the most instrumental outside financial and operational supporter of the first Earth Day.[4][5][6] According to Hayes: "Without the UAW, the first Earth Day would have likely flopped!"[7] Nelson was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom award in recognition of his work.[8][9] The first Earth Day was focused on the United States. In 1990, Denis Hayes, the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international and organized events in 141 nations.[10][11][12] On Earth Day 2016, the landmark Paris Agreement was signed by the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and 120 other countries. This signing satisfied a key requirement for the entry into force of the historic draft climate protection treaty adopted by consensus of the 195 nations present at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. Numerous communities engaged in Earth Day Week actions, an entire week of activities focused on the environmental issues that the world faces.[13] On Earth Day 2020, over 100 million people around the world observed the 50th anniversary in what is being referred to as the largest online mass mobilization in history.[3]

  1. ^ a b "Earth Day 2020: What Is It and How Do People Mark It Around the World?". The Independent. April 21, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  2. ^ "1 billion people are taking part in Earth Day - here are some reasons to be hopeful this year". Euronews. April 20, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "The 50th Anniversary Of Earth Day Unites Tens Of Millions Of People Across The World In Action And A Multi-Platform Event". Yahoo. April 24, 2020. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  4. ^ "Labor and environmentalists have been teaming up since the first Earth Day". Grist. April 2, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  5. ^ "Meet 'Mr. Earth Day,' the Man Who Helped Organize the Annual Observance". Time. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  6. ^ "The Rumpus Interview with Earth Day Organizer Denis Hayes". The Rumpus.net. April 2, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  7. ^ "Labor and environmentalists have been teaming up since the first Earth Day". Grist. April 2, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  8. ^ Striepe, Becky (April 21, 2013). "Earth Day Care2 Healthy Living". Care2.com. Archived from the original on April 23, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  9. ^ "Planet vs. Plastics Global Theme for Earth Day 2024". earthday.org. n.d. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  10. ^ "Staff – The Buillitt Foundation". Bullitt.org. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  11. ^ "The Rumpus Interview With Earth Day Organizer Denis Hayes". The Rumpus.net. April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  12. ^ "How Earth Day gave birth to the environmental movement". The Harvard Gazette. January 1990. Archived from the original on March 28, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  13. ^ "Earth Day: Let's pledge to keep our environment clean, says Mamata". The Statesman. April 22, 2018.