Earth Day is an annual event commemorated on April 22 across the world. The special day dedicated to the planet calls for support for environmental protection. The first Earth Day was celebrated in the United States on April 22, 1970. Peace activist John McConnell first introduced the idea of a global holiday called ‘Earth Day’ at the 1969 UNESCO Conference on Environment in San Francisco that year. He proposed a day to honour the Earth and the concept of peace, to be observed on March 21, 1970 - the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. When Is Earth Day 2023? Know Date, Theme, History and Significance of the Day That Raises Awareness About Protecting the Planet.

The first Earth Day was held in April 1970 with a federal proclamation from U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson. Nelson chose the date to maximize participation on college campuses. Moreover, it did not conflict with religious holidays such as Easter or Passover; hence, April 22 was chosen as Earth Day.

Earth Day Themes for the Last Five Years:

  1. Earth Day 2018's theme was ‘End Plastic Pollution’. It was dedicated to building a world of educated people who understand the environmental, climate, and health consequences of using plastic.

  2. Earth Day 2019's theme was ‘Protect Our Species’. For this campaign, events and programs spread information about the causes and consequences of growing species extinctions.

  3. In 2020, Earth Day marked its 50th Anniversary. The theme for Earth Day 2020 was ‘climate action’.

  4. The Earth Day 2021 theme was ‘Restore Our Earth’ which featured five primary programs: The Canopy Project, Food and Environment, Climate Literacy, the Global Earth Challenge, and The Great Global CleanUp.

  5. The Earth Day 2022 theme was ‘Invest in Our Planet’ and featured five primary programs: The Great Global Cleanup, Sustainable Fashion, Climate and Environmental Literacy, Canopy Project, Food and Environment, and the Global Earth Challenge.

Today, Earth Day has become a global event. It is celebrated in more than 190 countries around the world. People around the world can help create a sustainable future by working together for our planet and all its people. Earthday.Org (EDO), the global organizer of Earth Day and the largest recruiter of environmental movements worldwide, announced today the theme for Earth Day 2023 – ‘Invest in Our Planet’. The mission of EDO is to diversify, educate, and activate the environmental movement worldwide. The day educates people about the impact of their actions and encourages them to take action to protect the planet.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 17, 2023 08:34 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).