History of Earth Day in Timeline
Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22nd to advocate for environmental protection. Initiated on April 22, 1970, it has grown into a global movement coordinated by EARTHDAY.ORG, engaging over 1 billion people across more than 193 countries. The day serves as a platform for diverse activities aimed at raising awareness and promoting sustainable practices for a healthier planet.
1918: Adoption of the Gregorian Calendar by the Soviets
In 1918, the Soviets adopted the Gregorian calendar.
1920: Institution of Subbotniks by Lenin
In 1920, Lenin instituted subbotniks, days for community service involving removing rubbish and collecting recyclable material.
1946: Walter Reuther Leads UAW
In 1946, Walter Reuther became the leader of the United Auto Workers (UAW).
1955: Proclamation of April 22 as a National Holiday in the Soviet Union
In 1955, Nikita Khrushchev proclaimed April 22, Lenin's birthday, as a national holiday celebrating communism in the Soviet Union.
1960: Dynamic Period for Ecology in the US
The 1960s were a very dynamic period for ecology in the US, with grassroots activism against DDT and opposition to open-air nuclear weapons tests.
1962: Publication of Silent Spring
In 1962, Rachel Carson published her influential bestseller, Silent Spring, inspired by activism against DDT and nuclear weapons tests, which further fueled the environmental movement.
1968: Human Ecology Symposium Organized
In 1968, Morton Hilbert and the U.S. Public Health Service organized the Human Ecology Symposium, an environmental conference for students to learn about the effects of environmental degradation on human health. This event paved the way for the first Earth Day.
January 28, 1969: Union Oil Platform A Blowout
On January 28, 1969, Union Oil's Platform A, located 6 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, experienced a blowout, resulting in a massive oil spill that killed thousands of marine animals and spurred environmental activism.
September 20, 1969: Nelson announces plans for environmental teach-in
On September 20, 1969, Senator Nelson first announced his plans for an "environmental teach-In" in a little-publicized talk at the University of Washington.
1969: First Mention of a Global Earth Day Holiday
In 1969, John McConnell introduced the idea of a global "Earth Day" holiday at the UNESCO Conference on the Environment.
1969: McConnell proposes Earth Day at UNESCO Conference
In 1969, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and peace at a UNESCO conference in San Francisco.
1969: Environmental Disasters Sparked Initiative
In early 1969, the saturation news coverage given to the Santa Barbara oil spill and the Cuyahoga River catching fire led Senator Gaylord Nelson to think the time was ripe for an environmental initiative.
1969: Students Meet to Discuss Earth Day Plans
In the winter of 1969, a group of students met at Columbia University to hear Denis Hayes talk about his plans for Earth Day.
January 23, 1970: Project Survival at Northwestern University
On January 23, 1970, Project Survival, an early environmentalism-awareness education event, was held at Northwestern University. This was the first of several events held at university campuses across the United States in the lead-up to the first Earth Day.
January 28, 1970: Environmental Rights Day Created
On January 28, 1970, the first anniversary of the oil blowout, Environmental Rights Day was created, and the Declaration of Environmental Rights was read. The conference was believed to be the catalyst of the environmental movement.
March 21, 1970: Proposed First Observance of Earth Day
In 1969, at a UNESCO Conference, 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.
April 1970: First Earth Day
In April 1970, the first Earth Day was held, accompanied by a federal proclamation from U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson.
April 22, 1970: First Earth Day
On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was held to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
1970: Concept of Teach-Ins Becoming Passé
By 1970, the concept of "teach-ins" had become passé, and leading activists on college campuses were deeply involved in the anti-war and civil rights movements, viewing the environment as a distraction.
1970: Key Staff of Earth Day 1970
In 1970, Edward Furia was the Project Director of Earth Week, and Denis Hayes was the National Coordinator for Earth Day.
1970: NYC Activities within the National Movement
In 1970, Fred Kent, Pete Grannis, and Kristin and William Hubbard agreed to head up the New York City activities within the national movement.
1970: UAW Support for First Earth Day
In 1970, the United Auto Workers (UAW), under Walter Reuther's leadership, provided significant financial and operational support for the first Earth Day, including a $2,000 donation and resources for communication and mobilization.
1970: Congressional Election Year
In 1970, the year was a congressional election year, with calls to support environmental values.
1970: First Earth Day Participation
On the first Earth Day in 1970, an estimated 20 million Americans took part in rallies, marches, and teach-ins calling for environmental reform.
1970: Pogo Anti-Pollution Poster
Walt Kelly created an anti-pollution poster featuring his comic strip character Pogo with the quotation "We have met the enemy and he is us" to promote the 1970 Earth Day.
February 26, 1971: UN Support for Global Earth Day
On February 26, 1971, UN Secretary-General U Thant signed a proclamation supporting John McConnell's global initiative to celebrate an annual Earth Day.
1972: UN Observance of Earth Day
In 1972, United Nations secretary-general Kurt Waldheim observed Earth Day with ceremonies on the March equinox, a tradition that has continued annually since then.
1978: Support from Margaret Mead for Equinox Earth Day
In 1978, Margaret Mead added her support for the equinox Earth Day.
September 11, 1980: First Canadian Earth Day
The first Canadian Earth Day was held on September 11, 1980, organized by Paul D. Tinari and featuring educational lectures, clean-ups, and tree plantings.
1980: Earth Day Festival in Lafayette Park
In 1980, Earth Day effort was led by Mike McCabe and Byron Kennard. The principal Washington, D.C., event was a festival held in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House.
May 5, 1990: Release of "Tomorrow's World" Earth Day Single
On May 5, 1990, Warner Bros. Records released the Earth Day-themed single "Tomorrow's World," which charted at number 74 on the Hot Country Songs chart. The song was written by Kix Brooks and Pam Tillis and featured vocals from numerous artists.
1990: Earth Day Activities Boost Recycling
Earth Day activities in 1990 mobilized 200 million people in 141 countries, boosting recycling efforts worldwide and elevating environmental issues globally.
1990: Earth Day Goes International
In 1990, Denis Hayes, the original national coordinator in 1970, took Earth Day international and organized events in 141 nations.
1990: International Grassroots Activism
In 1990, Earth Day had international grassroots activism that included the work of Denis Hayes.
1990: Formation of Two Separate Earth Day Groups
In 1990, two separate groups, the Earth Day 20 Foundation and Earth Day 1990, were formed to sponsor Earth Day events. Senator Gaylord Nelson acted as honorary chairman for both groups, which disagreed on leadership, structures, and strategies.
1992: United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro
In 1992, the United Nations Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro.
2000: Focus on Global Warming and Clean Energy
In 2000, Earth Day focused on global warming and clean energy, combining the original Earth Day's scope with the international grassroots activism of Earth Day 1990, linking activists worldwide via the internet. 5,000 environmental groups participated in 184 countries.
2001: Google's First Earth Day Doodle
2003: Water for Life Campaign
In 2003, the theme for Earth Day was the Water for Life Campaign, featuring water-related events and educational resources across continents.
2004: Voter Registration Focus
In 2004, Earth Day Network and its partners focused on voter registration in the U.S., alongside tree planting events and community conferences.
2005: Healthy Environments for Children Theme
In 2005, the theme for Earth Day was Healthy Environments for Children.
2006: Focus on Science and Faith
In 2006, Earth Day focused on science and faith, expanding into Europe with events like the "Festival on Climate Change" in Utrecht, Netherlands and the "Chernobyl 20 Remembrance for the Future" conference in Kyiv, Ukraine with Denis Hayes in attendance.
2007: Global Warming in the Pulpit Pledge Campaign
In 2007, the Global Warming in the Pulpit Pledge campaign was launched, mobilizing faith leaders to preach about climate change.
March 20, 2008: Global Celebrations for the Equinox Earth Day
On March 20, 2008, the equinox Earth Day was marked by ceremonies at the United Nations and in various locations worldwide, including New Zealand, California, and Tokyo.
2008: Call For Climate Mobilization
In 2008, Earth Day galvanized millions with a Call For Climate, including challenges to the public to call Congress and climate rallies in major U.S. cities.
2009: National Teach-In on Global Warming Solutions
In 2009, the National Teach-In on Global Warming Solutions reached colleges, organizations, and faith groups, featuring members of Congress addressing campuses via video conference.
2010: Climate Rally on the National Mall
In 2010, a Climate Rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., drew over 150,000 activists to demand climate legislation.
2010: 40th Anniversary of Earth Day
In 2010, the 40th anniversary of Earth Day saw an estimated one billion people take action globally, with 20,000 partners engaging in climate rallies and civil leaders planning for a green economy. Earth Day Network also partnered with Twentieth Century Fox to plant one million trees.
September 2011: Clinton Recognizes Earth Day Network Project
In September 2011, at the Clinton Global Initiative, President Clinton recognized Earth Day Network's project to plant over 1.1 million trees in deforested countries as exemplary.
2013: Green Cities Campaign Launched
In 2013, Earth Day Network launched the Green Cities campaign in the fall to help cities worldwide become more sustainable and reduce their carbon footprint.
2013: Expansion of MobilizeU Program
In 2013, MobilizeU, a program to educate and activate college students around Earth Day and environmental issues, expanded to 296 universities in 51 countries.
2013: Creation of Black Lives Matter organization
In 2013, the Black Lives Matter organization was created and in 2016 engaged with EarthDay.org in community panels.
2013: The Face of Climate Change Theme
In 2013, the theme for Earth Day was The Face of Climate Change, aiming to personalize the challenge of climate change and unite people. EDN collected images sent into #faceofclimate and displayed them in a collage at events around the world.
2014: Personalizing Climate Change Challenges
In 2014, the goal of Earth Day was to personalize the challenges surrounding global climate change in the five-year countdown to Earth Day 2020.
2014: Green Cities Theme
In 2014, the theme of Earth Day was Green Cities, with a campaign launched in the fall of 2013 to help cities worldwide become more sustainable and reduce their carbon footprint.
2015: Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day
In 2015, Earth Day Network hosted Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day in partnership with Global Poverty Project, aiming to inspire and activate a new generation of global activists.
2015: United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris
In 2015, the United Nations Climate Change Conference was held in Paris where 195 nations adopted a historic draft climate protection treaty.
2015: "It's Our Turn to Lead" Theme
In 2015, the global theme for the 45th anniversary of Earth Day was "It's Our Turn to Lead."
2016: Mayor Participation Focused on Urban Planning
In 2016, hundreds of mayors across the world participated in Earth Day, with a primary focus on urban planning and reforestation.
2016: Trees for Earth Theme and Global Commitments
In 2016, the theme for Earth Day was Trees for Earth, with significant government commitments from India, the Caribbean, Vietnam, and Morocco. Close to 700 million people took part in Earth Day events, and over 36 million trees were planted in India.
2016: Signing of Climate Accord
On Earth Day 2016, world leaders from 175 nations signed a significant climate accord, marking a record in the history of the climate movement.
2017: Environmental and Climate Education Theme
In 2017, the Earth Day theme focused on environmental and climate education, emphasizing education as the foundation for progress in addressing environmental threats.
2017: Launch of Global Environmental and Climate Literacy Goal
On Earth Day 2017, Earth Day Network launched a campaign with the goal of achieving global environmental and climate literacy by 2020, envisioning a world well-versed in climate change concepts.
April 2018: Focus on Ending Plastic Pollution
In April 2018, Earth Day's theme "End plastic pollution" saw plastic cleanups, teach-ins, and festivals worldwide. This resulted in over 23,000 plastic cleanups, single-use plastic bans in 60 countries, and reduction commitments from companies.
2019: Protect Our Species Campaign
Earth Day 2019's "Protect Our Species" campaign focused on spreading information about the causes and consequences of species extinctions.
2020: Target date for global environmental and climate literacy
2020 was the target date for the Earth Day Network's global environmental and climate literacy campaign, launched on Earth Day 2017.
2020: 50th Anniversary of Earth Day
Earth Day 2020, the 50th anniversary, featured activities like the Great Global CleanUp and was themed "climate action." A three-day livestream, Earth Day Live, commemorated the event, emphasizing citizen science, volunteering, community engagement, education, and art.
2020: Five-Year Countdown to 50th Anniversary
In 2020, Earth Day marked its 50th anniversary, which was part of the five year count down that started in 2014.
April 22, 2021: Earth Day Live 2021
On April 22, 2021, Earthday.org hosted the second-annual Earth Day Live livestream event, featuring global activists, international leaders, and influencers.
2021: Leaders' Climate Summit
In 2021, the Biden administration organized a Leaders' Climate Summit, a virtual meeting featuring 40 world leaders and speakers to discuss climate issues.
2022: Invest in Our Planet Theme
Earth Day 2022 was themed "Invest in Our Planet" and featured programs like The Great Global Cleanup and Sustainable Fashion. Over one billion citizens participated.
November 2023: Release of "Babies vs. Plastics" Report
In November 2023, earthday.org released its report "Babies vs. Plastics", highlighting the health threat of microplastics, especially to children in the Global South.
2023: "Invest in our Planet" Theme Continuation
Earthday.org announced the continuation of the "Invest in our Planet" theme for Earth Day 2023.
2023: Value of $375 in 1970
In 1970, Earth Day national office staff were paid a flat $375/month, equivalent to $3,116 in 2023.
2023: "Invest In Our Planet" Theme and Image Release
On Earth Day 2023, the official theme was "Invest In Our Planet", accompanied by the publication of Earth images taken from various deep space distances.
2024: Planet vs. Plastics Theme
The theme for Earthday.org 2024 is "Planet vs. Plastics", advocating for a 60% global reduction in plastic production by 2040.
2040: Target Year for Plastic Production Reduction
Earthday.org has called for a 60% global reduction in plastic production by 2040, as part of their "Planet vs. Plastics" theme introduced in 2024.
