Earth Day is April 22 of every year. Back on April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans—10% of the U.S. population at the time—protested to bring attention to the very concerning environmental issues of the day, including oil spills, dangerous smog levels, and rivers that were so polluted that they literally caught fire. Today, Earth Day is one of the biggest civic and community event in the world and is celebrated through action to protect and restore the planet, from joining a park cleanup to joining a climate or carbon initiative to taking part in the world’s largest citizen science initiative. See more about Earth Day activities.
Daily Calendar for Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Born
- Queen Isabella I of Spain –
- Reverend Eleazar Wheelock (founded Dartmouth College) –
- Julius Sterling Morton (Arbor Day founder) –
- J. Robert Oppenheimer (physicist) –
- Aaron Spelling (American television producer ) –
- Charlotte Rae (actress) –
- Glen Campbell (country musician) –
- Jack Nicholson (actor) –
- Peter Frampton (musician) –
- Ryan Stiles (comedian & actor) –
Died
- Ansel Adams (photographer) –
- Richard M. Nixon (37th U.S. president) –
- Erma Bombeck (humorist) –
- Pat Tillman (Former NFL player, was killed while serving as an Army Rangers soldier in Afghanistan. Tillman walked away from a $3.6 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals to join the military after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S.) –
Events
- U.S. Proclamation of Neutrality issued–
- Sirius became first ship to complete trek across Atlantic solely by steam–
- First White House Easter Egg Roll–
- Every student in Nebraska City, Nebraska planted at least one tree in honor of the first official Arbor Day, which was founded by Julius Sterling Morton–
- Oklahoma land rush began–
- Symphony Society of N.Y. began first European tour by U.S. orchestra–
- Ray Keech drove 207,552 mph in the White Triplex car–
- Jacques Cousteau granted patent for diving apparatus–
- Lester Pearson inaugurated as prime minister of Canada–
- Doctors in Houston, Texas, performed the first substantial human eye transplant–
- The first Earth Day was celebrated in the United States–
- The Blues Brothers made their first appearance on Saturday Night Live–
- In Washington, D.C., the Albert Einstein memorial was unveiled on the grounds of the National Academy of Sciences–
- The Holocaust Memorial Museum was dedicated in Washington, D.C.–
- Red Sox players Manny Ramirez, J. D. Drew, Mike Lowell, and Jason Varitek hit 4 consecutive home runs. This was a first in Red Sox history–
Weather
- It rained geese in Elgin, Manitoba, after 52 flying geese were struck by lightning.–
- Sixteen inches of snow fell in Sheridan, Wyoming–
- The Red River crested at 54.35 feet in Grand Forks, North Dakota–
