Earth Day is over a half-century old- a look at 1970, the year it was born.

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Earth Day was founded to spotlight the environment, and the first celebration was on April 22, 1970. More than 20 million people in the U.S. participated. The Associated Press reported, "Across the nation, trash was gathered, streets swept, ponds and parks cleaned, trees and flowers planted" as "youth joined hands with age across the generation gap."

By the 1990s it had become an international celebration, and on Earth Day 2020, over 100 million people around the world observed the 50th anniversary in what is referred to as the "largest online mass mobilization in history."

The holiday was originally suggested by peace activist John McConnell who proposed using the spring equinox as a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace. Inspired, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed a nationwide environmental "teach-in" on April 22, 1970, and hired Denis Hayes, a young activist, as National Coordinator. Denis and his staff quickly developed the event beyond the original idea for a teach-in, and the first Earth Day was born.

When the event was announced in March, 1970, word about it spread remarkably fast for a pre-internet world. My high school art teacher heard about it and encouraged students to make artwork to celebrate the occasion. I created "Hope" in pen and ink and watercolor. The school held an art exhibit in the courtyard, and "Hope" was the first piece I ever sold! My artist buddy's father bought it for $25, an amazing sum back then, when I was working part time for minimum wage, $1.60/hour. I was reluctant to part with the artwork, but needed money to pay for my art lessons, so I painted him a duplicate and we were both happy!

As we move into the second half-century of Earth Day celebrations, it's insightful to consider the world at the time the holiday was born:

In April 1970, Richard Nixon was president and the Viet Nam war and resistance against it were ongoing.

Apollo 13 lifted off but its scheduled moon landing was cancelled after a near disaster in space.

The comic strip Broom-Hilda was launched and Paul McCartney announced that he was leaving the Beatles.

On the same day in April 1970, iconic striptease artist, Gypsy Rose Lee, died in Los Angeles and Melania Knavs (later, Trump) was born in Yugoslavia.

Top songs on the radio in April 1970, included:

Beatles' Let it Be

Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge over Troubled Water

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother by the Hollies

Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time) by The Delfonics

Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum

ABC by the Jackson Five (on American Bandstand, featuring the early dance moves of a 12-year-old Michael Jackson)

American Woman by The Guess Who

Something's Burning by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition

Up The Ladder To The Roof by The Supremes - on the Ed Sullivan show (their first album after Diana Ross left the group)

Rainy Night In Georgia by Brook Benton

Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) by Sly & The Family Stone

Celebrate by Three Dog Night

Evil Ways by Santana

Call Me by Aretha Franklin

Woodstock by Crosby Stills Nash & Young

The May 4th, 1970, massacre at Kent State University was just a few days away, which would prompt another hit song by Crosby Stills Nash and Young.

But on April 22, 1970, more than 20 million people participated in that first Earth Day, the largest single-day protest in human history, inspiring the world for a half-century and beyond.

According to EarthDay.org, "By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other first of their kind environmental laws, including the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act. Two years later Congress passed the Clean Water Act. A year after that, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act and soon after the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. These laws have protected millions of men, women and children from disease and death and have protected hundreds of species from extinction."

Earth Day 1970 news with Walter Cronkite:

Authors Website: http://www.OceanViewArts.com

Authors Bio:

Meryl Ann Butler is an artist, author, educator and OpedNews Managing Editor who has been actively engaged in utilizing the arts as stepping-stones toward joy-filled wellbeing since she was a hippie. She began writing for OpEdNews in Feb, 2004. She became a Senior Editor in August 2012 and Managing Editor in January, 2013. In June, 2015, the combined views on her articles, diaries and quick link contributions topped one million. She was particularly happy that her article about Bree Newsome removing the Confederate flag was the one that put her past the million mark.

Her art in a wide variety of media can be seen on her YouTube video, "Visionary Artist Meryl Ann Butler on Creativity and Joy" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcGs2r_66QE

A NYC native, her response to 9-11 was to pen an invitation to healing through creativity, entitled, "90-Minute Quilts: 15+ Projects You Can Stitch in an Afternoon" (Krause 2006), which is a bestseller in the craft field. The sequel, MORE 90-Minute Quilts: 20+ Quick and Easy Projects With Triangles and Squares was released in April, 2011. Her popular video, How to Stitch a Quilt in 90 Minutes with Meryl Ann Butler can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrShGOQaJQ8

She has been active in a number of international, arts-related projects as a citizen diplomat, and was arts advisor to Baltimore's CIUSSR (Center for Improving US-Soviet Relations), 1987-89. She made two trips to the former USSR in 1987 and 1988 to speak to artists, craftpeople and fashion designers on the topic of utilizing the arts as a tool for global wellbeing. She created the historical "First US-Soviet Children's Peace Quilt Exchange Project" in 1987-88, which was the first time a reciprocal quilt was given to the US from the former USSR.

Her artwork is in collections across the globe.

Meryl Ann is a founding member of The Labyrinth Society and has been building labyrinths since 1992. She publishes an annual article about the topic on OpEdNews on World Labyrinth Day, the first Saturday in May.

OpEdNews Senior Editor Joan Brunwasser interviewed Meryl Ann in "Beyond Surviving: How to Thrive in Challenging Times" at https://www.opednews.com/articles/Beyond-Surviving--How-to-by-Joan-Brunwasser-Anxiety_Appreciation_Coronavirus_Creativity-200318-988.html

Find out more about Meryl Ann's artistic life in "OEN Managing Ed, Meryl Ann Butler, Featured on the Other Side of the Byline" at https://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/OEN-Managing-Ed-Meryl-Ann-in-Life_Arts-Artistic_Artists_Quilt-170917-615.html

On Feb 11, 2017, Senior Editor Joan Brunwasser interviewed Meryl Ann in Pink Power: Sister March, Norfolk, VA at http://www.opednews.com/articles/Pink-Power-Sister-March--by-Joan-Brunwasser-Pussy-Hats-170212-681.html

"Creativity and Healing: The Work of Meryl Ann Butler" by Burl Hall is at
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Creativity-and-Healing--T-by-Burl-Hall-130414-18.html

Burl and Merry Hall interviewed Meryl Ann on their BlogTalk radio show, "Envision This," at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/envision-this/2013/04/11/meryl-ann-butler-art-as-a-medicine-for-the-soul

Archived articles www.opednews.com/author/author1820.html
Older archived articles, from before May 2005 are here.