Earth Day is an annual global event on April 22nd dedicated to environmental protection and sustainability. It mobilizes more than 1 billion people in over 190 countries to fight climate change, reduce waste, and support green energy through education, activism, and volunteering.
The purpose of Earth Day is to raise awareness about environmental issues and to encourage action to protect the planet. Activities vary from large-scale marches to local community actions. The theme in 2026 is “Our Power, Our Planet” focusing on accelerating the transition to clean energy, promoting clean air and water, and ensuring climate stability.
EARTHDAY.ORG
EARTHDAY.ORG is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to broaden, educate, and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Growing out of the first Earth Day in 1970, EARTHDAY.ORG is the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 150,000 partners in over 192 countries to drive positive action for our planet.
It works to broaden the definition of environment to include issues that affect our health and our communities, such as greening deteriorated schools, creating green jobs & investment, and promoting activism to stop air & water pollution.
EARTHDAY.ORG is working with partners around the world to build a historic movement where citizens of the world will rise up in a united call for the creativity, innovation, ambition, and bravery that is needed to meet the climate crisis and seize the opportunities of a zero-carbon future. Give to EARTHDAY.ORG.
The Origins of Earth Day
In the years leading up to the first Earth Day, Americans consumed leaded gas with large & inefficient automobiles, and industries emitted pollution into the air & water with little fear of the consequences. America remained largely oblivious to environmental concerns and how a polluted environment threatens human health.
The publication of Rachel Carson’s bestseller Silent Spring in 1962 changed things. The book, which sold more than 500,000 copies in 24 countries, raised public awareness & concern for living organisms, the environment, and the inextricable links between pollution and public health.
Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin had long been concerned about the deteriorating environment in the US. In January 1969, the country saw the ravages of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Senator Nelson wanted to infuse the energy of student anti-war protests with an emerging public consciousness about air & water pollution and announced the idea for a teach-in on college campuses. He persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican Congressman, to serve as his co-chair.
The First Earth Day 1970
Senator Gaylord Nelson recruited Denis Hayes, a young activist, to organize the campus teach-ins and to scale the idea to a broader public, and they choose April 22, a weekday falling between Spring Break and Final Exams, to maximize the greatest student participation.
Hayes built a national staff of 85 to promote events and the effort soon broadened to include a wide range of organizations, faith groups, and others. They changed the name to Earth Day, which immediately sparked national media attention and caught on across the country. Earth Day inspired 20 million Americans to take to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate against the impacts of 150 years of industrial development and a legacy of serious human health impacts.
Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich & poor, city folks & farmers, business & labor leaders. Groups that had been working individually united on Earth Day.
By the end of the year, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other first-of-their-kind environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety & Health Act, and the Clean Air Act.
Environmental Legislation by 1980
Earth Day in 1980 capped a decade of substantial environmental legislation, including the Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Superfund, Toxics Substances Control Act, the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act. The USEPA had been created, DDT has been banned, and lead had been removed from gasoline.
Going International in 1990
Earth Day continued to expand internationally during the 80’s, as did international policy initiatives. As 1990 approached, a group of environmental leaders approached Denis Hayes to once again organize another major campaign for the planet. Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. It gave a huge boost to recycling efforts and paved the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Climate Change & Clean Energy in 2000
As the millennium approached, the Earth Day campaign focused on global warming and clean energy. It utilized the internet to link activists around the world. On April 22, 5,000 environmental groups worldwide participated, reaching hundreds of millions of people in 184 countries.
One Billion on Earth Day 2010
Nearly one billion people took action for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. An estimated 20,000 partners took action on climate change and other environmental issues. Through the Global Day of Conversation, more than 200 elected officials in 39 countries took part in dialogues with their constituents about their efforts to create sustainable green economies and reduce their carbon footprints.
The Fiftieth Anniversary in 2020
On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the theme was “Climate Action” and activities included the Great Global CleanUp, Citizen Science, Advocacy, Education, and Street Art. Earthday.org and a coalition of youth activists co-hosted Earth Day Live, a three-day livestream commemorating the event. Over 1 billion people worldwide participated in Earth Day actions, and 100 million observed the 50th anniversary.
Earth Day 2026 Events
With 10,000 events and growing, EARTHDAY.ORG’s Events Map showcases the collective power of events taking place across the globe. Community cleanups, teach-ins, peaceful demonstrations, tree planting, voter registration, town hall meetings, community organizing—every action strengthens the movement.
Environmental progress is built through everyday action—from communities protecting ecosystems to innovators advancing solutions. Clean air, safe water, and climate resilience aren’t optional—they’re essential. Every action counts. Every voice matters.
