Earth Day

 Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. This concept of celebrating Earth Day was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson. At that time, it was announced as a “National Teach-in on the Environment” in America only though. Subsequently, as 1990 approached, Earth Day went global. Now, it is celebrated in more than 192 countries. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EarthDay.org (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.

The official theme for 2022 is Invest In Our Planet.

History

World Earth Day was celebrated for the first time on 22nd April 1970, when during a UNSEO conference in 1969 in San Fransisco, the peace activist John Mc Connell proposed to honor the mother earth and the concept of peace. However, World Earth Day was earlier proposed to be held on 21st March 1970, the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Later, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed to hold nationwide environmental enlightenment on 22nd April 1970 and renamed it 'Earth Day'

1970

The first Earth Day mobilizes 20 million Americans to call for increased protections for our planet

1990

Earth Day goes global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries

2000

Earth Day leverages the power of digital media to build millions of local conversations across more than 180 countries

2010

Earth Day Network launches A Billion Acts of Green® and The Canopy Project. Earth Day 2010 engages 75,000 global partners in 192 countries

2020

Earth Day 2020 marked 50 years with global activation's that aim to mobilize a billion people worldwide for transformative action for our planet.

 

quiz taken from https://www.britannica.com/

Below are some facts about Earth

1. Earth’s Shape: The earth is flattened at the North and the South Pole and is found to bulge at the equator.
2. Earth’s Name: Earth is the only planet in the solar system that does not has its name after any Roman or Greek god.
3. Sole Planet Of Existing Life Form: Earth is the only planet among the other eight planets that support life.
4. Densest Planet: Earth is the densest planet in the solar system.
5. Age Of Earth: Earth is 4.543 billion years old.
6. Position And Size: Earth is placed third from the sun and lies between Venus and Mars. Earth is the fifth-largest planet among all the eight planets.
7. Distance From The Sun: Earth is approximately 149.6 million km away from the sun.
8. Earth’s Orbit: Earth rotates on its own axis, and one such orbit gets completed in 24 hours, which is counted as one day on earth. On the other hand, the earth also revolves around the sun, and one such orbit gets completed in 365 days, whereas a leap year, i.e. any year that is divisible by 4, has 366 days.
9. Earth Days: Earth rotates like a spinning ball about 366.25 times in one year. They are known as Earth days.
10. Why Life Exists On Earth: Earth’s surface is covered with 70% water, and its’ atmosphere contains oxygen, the most important essential of life. Without oxygen and water, life cannot exist.
11. Earth’s Satellite: Earth has only one natural satellite revolving around it, and we call it the moon. Moon is approximately 384,400 km away from earth, and man has already managed to reach its’ surface. The first man to land on the moon was Neil Armstrong.
12. Earth’s Composition: Earth comprises the inner core, outer core, mantle and crust. The crust is the outermost rocky portion of the earth, and the inner core is the innermost portion of the earth. The core is comprised of mainly iron and nickel.
13. Earth’s Core: Earth’s inner core is as hot as the surface of the Sun.
14. Earth’s Atmosphere: The Earth’s atmosphere is divided into six layers – the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere, and ionosphere.
15. Freshwater Availability: Out of 70% water, only 3% is fresh, and the rest is salted. Out of that 3% freshwater, only 1% is available.
16. Continental Displacement: Once there was a time when all the continents that we know today were one entity. Due to tectonic plate shifting, all the continents broke off and separated into their present-day positions.
17. Earth’s Magnetic Field: Earth has a magnetic field that helps in protecting us from solar winds.
18. Physical Features: Earth comprises mountains, valleys, rivers, ponds, oceans, lakes, plateaus, deserts, cliffs, waterfalls, trees, canals, wetlands, icy lands and creeks.
19. Earth’s Atmosphere: Earth’s atmosphere comprises natural gases, such as 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.04% carbon dioxide, 0.93% argon, and traces of other gases, such as helium, hydrogen, neon, and even water vapour.
20. Highest And Deepest Points: The highest point on Earth’s surface, above sea level, is Mount Everest and the deepest point below sea level is Mariana Trench.
21. Natural Disasters: Various natural disasters are parts of our Earth, such as earthquakes, cyclones, tornados, floods, hurricanes, avalanches and volcanic eruptions.
22. The Seasons: Earth generally experiences four seasons because of earth’s 23-degree tilt and rotation. When the northern hemisphere, i.e. the part above the equator, experiences winter, the southern hemisphere experiences summer and vice versa.
23. Hottest And Coldest Regions: The Sahara desert is the hottest region in South Africa, and Antarctica is the coldest and even the driest region on Earth.
24. Living Species: We think that most living species are found on land, but in reality, they are found in the oceans and coral reefs.
25. Longest Mountain Range: Mid-Ocean Ridge is the longest linked mountain range that exists underneath the ocean. The volcanic magma that rises from the ocean’s bed aids in spreading the mountain range.
26. Earth’s Atmospheric Extension: The Earth’s atmosphere is known to extend to an approximate distance of 10000 km.
27. The Speed At Equator And Poles: When standing on the equator, you would be moving about the earth at 1000 miles/second but when at the poles, you would be unmoving.
28. Gravity Distribution: Gravity is not distributed evenly due to the lack of landmass in certain portions of the earth.

 

For More Information About Earth Day Click Here

www.earthday.org