This Day in History: The First Earth Day

ON APRIL 22, 1970, EARTH DAY was celebrated in the United States for the first time in an effort to increase awareness of the environmental problems facing the globe. Millions of Americans -- including students from thousands of colleges and universities -- partook in rallies, marches, and educational initiatives at local and national levels.

Earth Day was originally the brainchild of Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, a serious environmentalist who hoped to unify the grassroots environmental movement taking shape and increase ecological awareness. “The objective was to get a nationwide demonstration of concern for the environment so large that it would shake the political establishment out of its lethargy, and, finally, force this issue permanently onto the national political agenda,” Senator Nelson said.

Since 1970, Earth Day has successfully increased environmental awareness in America -- and, in fact, the Environmental Protection Agency was established in July of that year to regulate and enforce national pollution legislation.

Chelsea Clock, along with our partner Ports of Cause -- who, on behalf of the yachting industry, aims to help revive our oceans by promoting and providing sustainable solutions for everyday luxuries -- strive to be stewards of environmentally sound practices, and so, today and every day, we continue to support those practices which foster a healthier, more sustainable world.