Born on April 22
Earth Day
One planet. Look after it.
Next: April 22, 2027
Where it comes from
Earth Day began in the United States on 22 April 1970. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, shaken by a huge oil spill off Santa Barbara, California, in 1969, called for teach-ins on the environment at universities and recruited the young activist Denis Hayes to organise them.
How it's celebrated
People plant trees, clean up beaches, parks and rivers, join citizen-science counts and hold talks and teach-ins in schools and universities. EARTHDAY.ORG, the organisation that grew out of the first Earth Day, coordinates events around the world, and the UN marks the day with a dialogue on living in harmony with…
Did you know
The organisers chose 22 April because it was a weekday between American students' spring break and their final exams.
Read the full story of Earth Day
Star sign
Taurus · April 20 – May 20 · Earth sign
Steady and loyal, with a weakness for good food and comfortable things.