Earth Day was created to inspire all Americans to be conscious of air and water pollution and has since grown to change human behavior and make global, national and local policy changes. Take this quiz to test your knowledge of Earth Day.

1. When was the first Earth Day?

A. 1965

B. 1970

C. 1982

2. Which Wisconsin senator conceived the idea of Earth Day?

A. Gaylord Nelson

B. Pete McCloskey

C. William Proxmire

3. The US government responded to Earth Day with environmental legislation that resulted in what government agency?

A. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

B. Council on Environmental Quality

C. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

4. When did Earth Day become recognized worldwide?

A. 1985

B. 1990

C. 1995

5. About how many people recognize Earth Day each year?

A. 10 million

B. 1 billion

C. 10 billion

6. What day does Earth Day fall on every year?

A. February 22

B. March 22

C. April 22

7. In what year did the United Nations join the Earth Day celebrations?

A. 1995

B. 2000

C. 2005

8. Outside the United States, other countries refer to Earth Day as what?

A. Earth Day

B. The Day of Earth

C. International Mother Earth Day

9. What is the name of Earth Day’s theme song?

A. Earth Day Anthem

B. Don’t Go Near the Water

C. Save the Planet

Answers

1-B) April 22, 1970, was the first Earth Day, intentionally set between spring break and final exams for college students in hopes they would participate in this grassroots demonstration. 2-A) Vietnam War protests inspired Senator Nelson after witnessing a massive oil spill that leaked millions of gallons of oil off the coast of Santa Barbara in 1969. 3-C) The EPA was created as part of a 37-point proposal presented by President Richard Nixon. 4-B) A group of environmental leaders helped organize a major campaign that mobilized 200 million people in 141 countries to get worldwide involvement. 5-B) The Earth Day Network says Earth Day is the largest secular observance in the world and reaches people in more than 190 countries. 6-C) Earth Day falls on April 22 each year as a nod to the original demonstration that took place in 1970. 7-B) On the 30th anniversary of Earth Day, the United Nations announced they were taking a leadership role to focus on energy and climate change. 8-C) The United Nations dubbed Earth Day, “International Mother Earth Day,” in 2009, but the US still calls it Earth Day. 9-A) This anthem was written by Indian poet Abhay Kumar in 2013 and has since been recorded in all official UN languages.