On April 22, 1970, 20 million people across
America celebrated the first Earth Day. It was a time when cities
were buried under their own smog and polluted rivers caught fire.
Now Earth Day is celebrated annually around the globe. Through the
combined efforts of the U.S. government, grassroots organizations,
and citizens like you, what started as a day of national
environmental recognition has evolved into a world-wide campaign to
protect our global environment. Learn about the history of Earth
Day.
http://www.epa.gov/earthday/history.htm