It was April 22, 1970, when kids across the United States poured out of schools carrying banners and hand-lettered signs asking for a better environment to grow up in. It was a time when smog thickened the air in Chicago, making it difficult to see across the street. Other major cities had the same issues.
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Earth Day begins in 1970
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A crowd observes Earth Day, including youngster wearing a 'Let Me Grow Up' sign on her back, relaxes on a hilltop April 23, 1970, in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. The crowd was comprised mostly of young people; it was estimated at more than 20,000 people.
Dennis Hayes, head of Environment Teach-In, Inc., the Washington organization coordinating activities for 'Earth Day,' is at the group's Washington D.C. office for April 22, 1970.
A woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty poses on a float full of trash during Earth Day observances in 1970 in Florida.
Children of the Convent of the Sacred Heart School in New York City man brooms April 22, 1970, as they clean a monument in the city's Union Square. The children came out in force in observance of Earth Day.
Hundreds of young people listen April 22, 1970, to Earth Day speakers in New York.
Students take to the streets April 22, 1970, in Denver.
Students march April 22, 1970, through a St. Louis suburb to protest car exhaust.
Students protest April 22, 1970, in Milwaukee.
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