The history of Earth Day
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EmailEvery year on April 22, the world celebrates Earth Day. Learn more about the history of this day and its efforts to educate people about environmental issues.
Every year on April 22, the world celebrates Earth Day. But what is Earth Day? Earth Day is an environmental movement started in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson, a senator from Wisconsin and Denis Hayes, a student at Harvard Kennedy School. Hayes was a young activist who was known for the teach-ins he organized on college campuses, and was recruited by Nelson for these efforts. Together, Nelson and Hayes organized a national demonstration to educate people about environmental issues.
According to the National Institute for Environmental Studies, “an astonishing 20 million American participated in the first observance (of Earth Day) on April 22, 1970.” American Heritage magazine described the event years later as “one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy.” By the end of the year, the Environmental Protection Agency was formed and by 1990, 140 countries around the globe celebrated Earth Day.
Today, more than one billion people celebrate Earth Day in over 193 countries. It remains an opportunity for everyone around the world to come together around environmental topics, such as pollution, deforestation, eliminating plastics in oceans, and so much more.
While Earth Day is a global initiative, there are lots of activities you can do in your own community. Explore the official Earth Day 2025 website to discover what activities are happening in your area or to share an activity you are hosting with your community. Search Earth Day recycling ideas and you will find hundreds of crafts and projects that are fun, educational and great activities for kids of all ages to instill recycling and upcycling. As you do the project with your kids, classroom or 4-H club, you can teach about the importance of caring for our natural resources and encourage the kids to find more ways to make everyday Earth Day.
Looking for additional ideas? Michigan State University Extension encourages you to consider the following activities to celebrate Earth Day, or better yet, help the Earth all year round:
- Plant a tree
- Pick up trash
- Turn off lights when leaving a room
- Turn off the water when brushing your teeth
- Recycle paper, cardboard, glass, plastic and aluminum
There are also many websites and organizations that devote time to promoting Earth Day. Here are a few to visit to get inspired and get involved.
