Are you looking for fun and educational ways to celebrate Earth Day with your kids? Look no further! Here we have compiled 50 fascinating Earth Day facts that are perfect for kids.
Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22 to raise awareness about environmental issues and the importance of protecting our planet’s natural resources.
From the history of Earth Day to global initiatives, record-breaking events, and inspiring speeches, this article has something for everyone.
Join us as we explore the fascinating world of Earth Day!
15 Earth Day History Facts
Earth Day was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson to recognize past environmental movements and raise awareness about the importance of protecting our planet’s natural resources. This day is also used as an opportunity for many environmentalists to address environmental issues like food waste, fast fashion, and oil spills.
The 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill in California inspired the creation of Earth Day. Before the leakage was stopped, approximately three million gallons of oil (13.6 million liters) spread over 35 miles (56 km).
Senator Gaylord Nelson was also inspired to create Earth Day in 1969 after witnessing the Vietnam anti-war teach-ins on college campuses in the US.
April 22 was chosen as the date to celebrate Earth Day as it fell between the students’ spring break and final exams. This resulted in more students participating in the awareness day.
Over 1,500 universities participated in the first Earth Day through teach-ins, rallies, and forums.
Julian Koenig, an advertising writer, was the one who came up with the name Earth Day. However, other names for the awareness day were suggested, like Ecology Day, Environment Day, and E Day.
Although Earth Day started in the US, it has become a global event with over a billion participants yearly.
Environmental laws, like the Clean Air Act of 1970 and the Clean Water Act of 1972, in the United States were proposed and improved with the help of Earth Day.
One specific photo during the Earth Day 1970 rally caused people to think that an environmental activist named Ira Einhorn was the founder of Earth Day. Seven years later, this mistaken founder turned out to be a criminal.
The first US President to ever celebrate Earth Day was Richard Nixon in 1971, who proclaimed April 18 to April 24 as Earth Week. Nixon died on Earth Day in 1994.
Earth Day 1990 had a massive impact on global recycling efforts and helped pave the way for the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
Warner Bros. Records released an Earth Day-themed single in 1990 called “Tomorrow’s World,” featuring vocals from numerous country musicians, which charted at number 74 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Leonardo DiCaprio served as Chair of Earth Day 2000 at the age of 26. Dicaprio, an environmentalist since he was young, also founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, a non-profit environmental organization, in 1998.
Google changes its logo temporarily for special occasions, like holidays, birthdays of famous artists, and other important events. Google’s first Earth Day Doodle was in 2001, replacing each letter “o” in Google with the Earth.
Palmer Station, a research station in Antarctica, commemorated Earth Day in 2007 by doing an underwater cleanup of all the trash left behind by early Antarctic expeditions.
10 Facts About Earth Day In The 2010s
The Lorax is one of the most popular movies to watch on Earth Day, as it’s about a businessman that caused the extinction of trees due to his manufacturing business. The movie was released in 2012, based on a book published in 1971, a year after the creation of Earth Day.
In preparation for Earth Day 2012, NASCAR released an in-depth report on the numerous programs the association has done to help our planet, from educating their fans to reducing the sport’s environmental impact.
Eco-friendly cosmetics brand Aveda set the Guinness World Record for the most charitable funds raised in 24 hours by cutting hair. They raised $76,569 worldwide, dedicating it to Earth Day 2013.
Former President Barack Obama celebrated the 45th anniversary of Earth Day by visiting the Florida Everglades. This important landmark provides drinking water to the people living in Florida and protects them from hurricanes and floods.
On Earth Day 2016, the United Nations opened the Paris Agreement on climate change to signatures.
Every Earth Day has a different theme. For example, In 2016, the theme of Earth Day was “Trees for the Earth,” with the goal of planting one tree for every person on Earth.
EarthX Expo is a massive environmental expo that occurs annually around Earth Day in Dallas, Texas. In 2017, the expo had over 100,000 visitors, 900 exhibitors, and 260 speakers!
Coincidentally, March for Science is held on the same day as Earth Day. Founded in 2017, the event celebrates science and its vital role in our daily lives.
Citi Bike in New York City offered people to use their bikes for free on Earth Day 2019 by using the code “EARTHDAY19” through their app.
Three days before Earth Day 2019, Lil Dicky released a song named “Earth,” featuring Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Snoop Dogg. A portion of the proceeds was donated to environmental organizations.
20 Earth Day Facts From The 2020s
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, in 2020, was commemorated virtually. The lockdowns implemented during this time resulted in reduced air pollution levels, offering us a preview of the positive impact we could have on our planet if we were to minimize our environmental footprint.
Earth Day Global Halt 2020 was another art campaign made to address environmental problems. This campaign focused more on inspiring people to take action for our planet with the help of street artists, muralists, and graffiti artists by sharing their works on social media.
Since 2020, Sonoma, California, holds an annual photography contest for Earth Day, encouraging people to take photos of certain spots around the city.
Puma partnered with First Mile, an eco-friendly clothing manufacturer, for Earth Day 2020 to create shoes, apparel, and accessories made of recycled yarn.
In 2020, Pope Francis gave a speech about how we’ve harmed our planet due to our selfishness, how we must restore a harmonious relationship with the Earth, and that we have no future if we destroy the environment that sustains us.
For the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Jason Mraz released a music video that revolved around recycling. The upbeat and uplifting song is called “Look For The Good.”
Thailand’s Dhammakaya Foundation set the Guinness World record for the largest candle-powered flame image on Earth Day 2021, depicting the world map with a sitting Buddha made using 256,477 candles.
To celebrate Earth Day in 2021, the Danish embassy in Beijing, China, held a “climate race” to encourage people to reduce their carbon footprint by using bikes instead of cars.
The NBA celebrated Earth Day 2021 by planting three trees for every three-pointer made between April 22 and April 25.
Selena Gomez supported Earth Day 2022 by posting an Instagram story about Monarca, a novel that revolved around the transformation of a Mexican-American girl into a monarch butterfly. Selena expressed her opinion about Earth’s health after reading this book, as it deals with environmentalism.
On Earth Day 2022, the Today show set a Guinness World Record for the most people watering plants in multiple venues simultaneously. Seven-hundred and ninety-nine people from different schools and organizations helped break the record.
Two other Guinness World Records were also broken in 2022 to celebrate Earth Day. The first one was for the greatest distance traveled by an electric van on a single charge, while the other one was for the most photos of people hugging trees uploaded to Instagram in one hour.
Coca-Cola collaborated with famed TV host and engineer Bill Nye for Earth Day 2022 to show the environmental impact of plastics and the importance of recycling.
To celebrate Earth Day 2022, Apple donated $1 to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) with any transaction made between April 14 and April 22 using Apple Pay at an Apple Store, the App Store, or on their website.
NASA held a social media campaign on Earth Day 2022, encouraging everyone to celebrate our home planet by using the hashtag #NASAEarthling.
In 2022, Netflix released an Earth Month collection called “One World, Infinite Wonder,” which featured 170 films regarding environmentalism, including Our Great National Parks, David Attenborough’s A Life on Our Planet, and Don’t Look Up.
Samsung partnered with plant-based designer Sean Wotherspoon to release sustainable accessories for Earth Day in 2022. This collaboration resulted in Samsung reducing its electronic waste by selling recyclable cases for the Galaxy S21 and watch bands for the Galaxy Watch4.
Fans of the LA Dodgers baseball team hiked to the Hollywood sign to celebrate Earth Day in 2022.
Nike released a version of the Air Max 95 (made from at least 20% recycled materials) for Earth Day 2022. The limited edition sneakers were available in Earth tones, like different shades of brown and green.
The theme for Earth Day 2023 is “Invest in Our Planet,” which aims to encourage individuals, governments, and businesses to invest in the planet’s preservation for a safer and better future for future generations.
5 Random Earth Day Facts
Amber Heard, Machine Gun Kelly, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan have their birthday on Earth Day.
A global Earth Day art campaign called “Artists for the Earth” encourages artists to create different kinds of art to send a message to the public about environmental issues.
There’s a Minecraft version dedicated to Earth Day, where gamers learn about recycling, managing waste products, and biodiversity as a whole.
One of the most iconic photos of Earth Day was of an activist wearing a gas mask while smelling a flower. It symbolizes what could happen in the future if we don’t take care of our planet.
The Lyrids meteor shower, one of the oldest known meteor showers, peaks around Earth Day!
In Conclusion
Earth Day is a time for us to reflect on our relationship with the planet we call home.
With the help of Senator Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day has become a worldwide event that has inspired numerous individuals and organizations to take action to protect our environment.
From the creation of environmental laws to the rise of art campaigns and social media movements, Earth Day has paved the way for change. Even celebrities and large companies are taking part in the movement, showing how important this day is to the world.
Earth Day has also become a symbol of hope, reminding us that we have the power to make a difference and create a better future for ourselves and generations to come.
So, let’s continue to celebrate and protect our planet, not just on Earth Day, but every day!
