The origins of Earth Day: marking 50 years of eco-activism

In 2020, April 22 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. What began in 1970 as a campaign to curtail air and water pollution in the United States is now the largest secular observance in the world.

Inciting influences
The 1960s were marked by an energetic counterculture of student activism and a widespread movement against the Vietnam War. At the same time, a series of disasters, including the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara and fatal air-pollution episodes in Los Angeles and New York City, fueled mounting public concern for the environment.

Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, a United States senator, sought to fuse these societal currents and make environmental protection a national priority.

The first Earth Day
On April 22, 1970, an estimated 20 million people participated in rallies across the United States. The first Earth Day sparked bi-partisan support for environmentalism and united various activist groups.

This was a watershed moment for environmental politics in the United States. The government founded the Environmental Protection Agency and made significant amendments to the Clean Air Act in the same year. A more robust Clean Water Act and the creation of the Endangered Species Act soon followed.

Going global
In 1990, Earth Day became a global event, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries, and set the stage for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

This year, Earth Day will be celebrated by more than a billion people in 192 countries. To find out how you can join this movement that’s 50 years in the making, visit earthday.org.