Earth Day: How Did it Start

In the 1960s, the United States and many other industrialized countries saw a boom in growth and prosperity. Factory production skyrocketed, bringing with it an increase in jobs and population growth in many cities. One key thing helped make this growth seemingly exponential: almost no environmental regulations. Factories could release as much smoke and chemicals as they liked without any repercussions. Most rivers were industrial dumping grounds and sewage highways. While health impacts were starting to be seen, nothing would officially be done until 1970, when Earth Day was officially created and designated for April 22. During the very first Earth Day, over 20 million Americans participated in events, making it the largest civic demonstrations in U.S. history at that time.

Shocking events such as the Cuyahoga River fire of 1969, the release of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, and the drastic decline in bald eagles due to the wide use of the pesticide, DDT, directly lead to increasing public outcry and Earth Day. Throughout the latter half of the 1960s, environmental protests occurred across the country, putting pressure on congress to make changes to the ways we protect the environment. Finally, after the first Earth Day celebration/protest, the federal government began taking steps to reign in pollution, one of which was the formation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency on December 2, 1970.

It is believed that Earth Day also led to the formation of other environmental legislation that still protect our environment today. These include the Endangered Species Act, The Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act.

So now you know a little more about Earth Day and how it started. Who knows what the Earth would look like now had steps toward ending pollution not been taken 50 years ago.

by Amy Keigher, Natural Resources Agents, 2026