When and by whom was Earth Day started?

The first Earth Day was held in the United States on 22 April 1970 — American senator Gaylord Nelson had proposed the idea of a nationwide environmental teach-in.

Why was 22 April chosen as the date for Earth Day?

The date was chosen to avoid college exams and spring break, for favourable spring weather, and because of a lack of competing events at the time.

What is the difference between Earth Day and International Mother Earth Day?

Earth Day began in 1970 as a civic environmental movement in the United States; the UN General Assembly gave it official international recognition on the same date (22 April) in 2009 as "International Mother Earth Day" — both are distinct milestones tied to the same date.

Earth Day

Earth Day is observed every year on 22 April — the first Earth Day was held in the United States on 22 April 1970. In 2009, the UN General Assembly (Resolution A/RES/63/278) officially designated the same date as "International Mother Earth Day." This year (2026), 22 April falls on a Wednesday; it is not a public holiday.

This year's dates (2026)

Wednesday; not a public holiday; Earth DayWednesday, 22 April 2026

Earth Day is observed worldwide to raise awareness of environmental protection, climate change, pollution, and sustainable development. Like World Health Day, this is a fixed-Gregorian-date international awareness day, unrelated to any panchang tithi.

History & significance

American senator Gaylord Nelson (Wisconsin) got the idea after reading about anti-Vietnam-War college-campus "teach-ins" in 1969, and thought of organising a nationwide environmental teach-in on the same model. In September 1969, he tasked his staff with organising environmental teach-ins on college campuses across the country on a single day. Denis Hayes served as the national coordinator of the campaign.

22 April was chosen for practical reasons — to avoid clashing with college exams or spring break, to avoid conflicting with religious festivals, for favourable spring weather, and because there were few competing events at the time; the date also falls right after the birthday of naturalist John Muir.

At the first Earth Day (22 April 1970), roughly 20 million Americans came together across their cities, states, and the country over environmental concerns — the event gave momentum to a wave of environmental legal reforms in the US that came to be called the "Environmental Decade."

UN's official recognition (2009): The UN General Assembly, on Bolivia's initiative and with the support of more than 50 member states, adopted Resolution A/RES/63/278 by consensus, officially designating 22 April as "International Mother Earth Day" — the resolution noted that "the Earth and its ecosystems are our home" and the need for harmony with nature. The 1970 civic-movement origin (Nelson) and the 2009 international, governmental-level recognition (UN) are two distinct but complementary milestones.

As background, the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm gave a major push to the global environmental movement — it led to World Environment Day (5 June, a separate observance) and the establishment of the UN Environment Programme.

Reach today

According to EARTHDAY.ORG's (formerly Earth Day Network) own figures, more than 193 countries and over 1 billion people worldwide are said to take part in Earth Day today.

Observance in India

Earth Day is observed in India as well — for example, in 2012, "Earth Day Network India" coordinated rallies, competitions, seminars, tree-planting drives, and workshops across several states. However, a consistent, up-to-date national programme run by the Indian government specifically for this day remains limited in available detail.

Is it a public holiday?

Earth Day is not a nationwide government holiday. Schools and offices function as usual; many schools organise their own activities such as tree-planting or cleanliness drives.

Good to know

This is not a universal holiday — schools and offices function as usual.
Earth Day (the 1970 civic-movement origin) and International Mother Earth Day (the 2009 UN recognition) are two distinct milestones tied to the same date (22 April) — when answering "who started it," keep the civic origin (Nelson, 1970) and the governmental recognition (UN, 2009) distinct.
The participating-countries figure ("193+") is earthday.org's own claim and can change from year to year.
This is a fixed Gregorian date — it falls on 22 April every year, unlike tithi-based festivals that shift.

FAQ

When and by whom was Earth Day started?: The first Earth Day was held in the United States on 22 April 1970 — American senator Gaylord Nelson had proposed the idea of a nationwide environmental teach-in.
Why was 22 April chosen as the date for Earth Day?: The date was chosen to avoid college exams and spring break, for favourable spring weather, and because of a lack of competing events at the time.
What is the difference between Earth Day and International Mother Earth Day?: Earth Day began in 1970 as a civic environmental movement in the United States; the UN General Assembly gave it official international recognition on the same date (22 April) in 2009 as "International Mother Earth Day" — both are distinct milestones tied to the same date.
Is Earth Day a public holiday?: No, it is not a nationwide government holiday — schools and offices function as usual.