Denver's First Earth Day, 1970

April 22, 2020, marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. On this day in 1970, over 20 million Americans attended demonstrations, protesting environmental pollution and demanding action to protect their habitat from further harm.

Denver, as it turns out, was a significant site for Earth Day 1970, attracting the holiday's founder to attend a 12-hour teach-in held at the city's Currigan Hall.

The man behind Earth Day was U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin), who was active in the environmental movement from early on. In 1969, after seeing three million gallons of crude oil escape from an oil rig blowout in the Santa Barbara Channel, Senator Nelson created Earth Day as a way to thrust environmental issues into the national spotlight.

The Rocky Mountain News also reported that during his speech, Senator Nelson drew intermittent cheers and applause from the audience when he stated that the "pill" was an inadequate form of birth control and that the federal government should put a stop to the use and production of all disposable bottles. The cause his speech stressed most forcefully, however, was the establishment of a federally-subsidized environmental program and the formation of an "ecology congress" to regulate the use of land, water, minerals, and pesticides. Nelson's speech drew a standing ovation.

In December of 1970, Congress authorized the formation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to manage environmental issues.

Today, many consider Earth Day 1970 as having been impactful enough to have started the modern environmental movement in the United States. It's interesting to note the role Denver played in this milestone.