Earth day was started in 1970 in the USA.
It was created by both John McConnell, a peace activist and Senator Gaylord Nelson.
McConnell had proposed the idea at a UNESCO conference in 1969 and the original plan had been for Earth Day to coincide with the Spring Equinox (the first day of Spring)
However, at the same time Nelson had proposed a national environmental ‘teach in’ across the US on 22nd April.
The two came together and due to the changing nature of the Spring Equinox they decided to set the date as 22nd April.
The main purpose was to highlight the issues concerning dangerous, toxic drinking water, air pollution and the effects of pesticides.
10% of Americans (around 20 million) at that time rallied together and protested in the streets, parks, universities and public spaces.
Earth Day was celebrated every 10 years until it became global in 1990 – when 200 million people around the world got involved in one way or another.
After 1990 it became an annual celebration and a great opportunity to raise awareness for environmental issues.
Today, it is estimated that, over 1 billion people engage with Earth Day!
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