Earth Day is observed every year in the United States on April 22, but have you ever wondered why and when it became a holiday?
President and Mrs. Nixon plant a tree on the White House Lawn in 1970 in honor of the first Earth Day. (Source)
First observed on April 22, 1970, Earth Day is a day of support for global protection and environmental concerns. In 1990, Earth Day became a global holiday. Today, it is observed in almost 200 different countries.
Did you know?
Earth Day has resulted in the formation of some of our most important government agencies- The very first Earth Day led to the creation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) later that year. Earth Day also influenced the passing of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Education Act.
In the year 2020, records were broken when 20 million people worldwide tuned into a 12-hour Earth Day Live event, hosted remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Earth Day can be observed with parades, organizing trash clean-ups, and planting trees. If you prefer a more solitary celebration, you can also enjoy nature by having a picnic or going for a very nice hike in a pretty location.
How will you observe Earth Day this year? We are observing it by planting a pollinator garden to attract bees and butterflies.
