How Earth Day was founded

Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970


Jan 28, 1969: Union Oil rig, off coast of California, spews more than three million gallons of oil into Pacific Ocean – over 10,000 animals die

Inspired by oil disaster, Senator Gaylord Nelson announces idea for environment teach-ins on college campuses. Concept morphs into “Earth Day”

First Earth Day, April 22, 1970 (falls between college Spring Break and Final Exams): 10% of U.S. population (then 20 million people) take to streets to demonstrate against harm-ful effects of 150 years of industrial development

1990: Earth Day goes global, mobilising 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto world stage

President Richard Nixon and First Lady, Pat Nixon, plant tree at White House to recognise first Earth Day

Dec 24, 1968: Famous Apollo 8 “Earthrise” photo was inspirational to environmentalists
                 

Sources: Earth Day, Wikipedia 
Photos: Creative Commons 
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