Sunset Horizon Earth Day

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Yellow sunshine with red sky setting over blue and white waves of water.

Curl Text EARTH WEEK COMM. OF PHILA. (union bug) ©1970 HORN CO. PHILA. 10126
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The first Earth Day celebration took place in April of 1970 in Philadelphia. The event was organized by a committee of students, including David Powell who designed the sunrise logo. They chose April 22 as a weekday between Spring Break and exams, hoping to maximize student involvement. However, the event soon gained national attention, and on the day, it is estimated that demonstrations were attended by twenty million Americans. Following the publication of Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring several years earlier, the environmental movement had been gaining traction. Earth Day was the culmination of this concern. Notable speakers at the first Earth Day in Philadelphia included Ralph Nader, Allen Ginsberg, and Alan Watts.

Sources

Powell, David. (1970). "Environmental Button". National Museum of American History.

"The History of Earth Day". (2020). Earth Day Network. https://www.earthday.org/history/.

Catalog ID AR0457