Earth Day

“In 1969, the Cuyahoga River in Ohio becomes so polluted that it catches on fire. The fire helped spur an avalanche of water pollution control activities such as the Clean Water Act and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. By bringing national attention to water pollution issues, the Cuyahoga River fire was one of the events that led to the creation of the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.”

“On April 22, 1970, more than 20 million Americans participated in one of the largest grassroots community service movements in our history. Earth Day is now celebrated every year by almost 1 billion people worldwide.”

Although it originated in the United States, Earth Day is now observed around the world.

December 2, 1970, the USEPA is officially established.

“In 2025, we celebrate the 55th anniversary of Earth Day. To mark this milestone, we invite everyone to support Earth Day’s 2025 theme: OUR POWER, OUR PLANET™. Let’s unite in our collective global commitment to renewable energy, whether it’s solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal or tidal – to generate clean electricity for everyone.”

More information

1. US EPA, OA. Milestones in EPA and Environmental History. 20 May 2020, https://www.epa.gov/history/milestones-epa-and-environmental-history.

2. “Earth Day: The Official Site” Earth Day, 5 Apr. 2025, https://www.earthday.org/.

3. US EPA, OA. Making Earth Day Every Day Infographic. 17 Apr. 2023, https://www.epa.gov/earthday/making-earth-day-every-day-infographic.