Earth Day has Wisconsin roots

BY Aly Prouty and Spectrum News Staff Wisconsin

UPDATED 8:00 AM ET Apr. 22, 2025 PUBLISHED 1:09 PM ET Apr. 22, 2022 PUBLISHED 1:09 PM EDT Apr. 22, 2022

WISCONSIN — The first Earth Day kicked off in the U.S. in 1970. Today marks the 55th Earth Day, and people all over the world are still mobilizing today to protect the planet.

Earth Day has roots right here in the Badger State. Its founder, was born in Clear Lake, Wisconsin in 1916.

Earth Day was started by Gaylord Nelson in 1970. Nelson was then a U.S. Senator for Wisconsin, and had been governor of Wisconsin before that. Throughout his career, he was a staunch advocate for the environment.

Check out Earth Day's evolution below:

Aly Prouty - Digital Media Producer

Aly Prouty is a digital producer for Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin, Ohio and Kentucky. An award-winning, multimedia journalist, she holds an honors B.A. in journalism from Marquette University and an M.A. in journalism and media studies from The University of Alabama.