Earth Day 2026 Explained — The History That Changed the World
Earth Day 2026 theme is Our Power, Our Planet — a rallying
cry for collective action on a planet under pressure.
In this video: the history of Earth Day, the laws it created,
the ozone layer it helped heal, and what 2026 is actually
fighting for.
Earth Day began April 22, 1970. Twenty million Americans took
to the streets in a single day. Within two years the EPA,
the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered
Species Act were signed into law.
The ozone layer is healing because of the 1987 Montreal Protocol
— the direct result of public action that governments initially
refused to take.
In 2026, over one billion people across nearly 200 countries
observe Earth Day. Our Power. Our Planet.
Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Cecil W. Stoughton (1920–2008)
Thumbnail image is an original illustration produced by
DriftHuman. Not NASA imagery.
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