On April 22, 1970, an estimated 20 million Americans — 10% of the U.S. population — took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums for the first Earth Day. Organized by Senator Gaylord Nelson and activist Denis Hayes, it was the largest civic event in human history at the time. Colleges held teach-ins, cities organized cleanups, and communities rallied against pollution. The movement transcended politics: Republicans and Democrats marched together. Within months, the Nixon administration created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Congress passed the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act. Earth Day went global in 1990, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries.
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