Earth Day, an event to increase public awareness of the
world’s environmental problems, was celebrated in the
United States for the first time on April 22, 1970.

Millions of Americans, including students from thousands
of colleges and universities, participated in rallies, marches
and educational programs across the country.
 

Gaylord Anton Nelson (June 4, 1916 – July 3, 2005)

Earth Day was the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson of
Wisconsin, a staunch environmentalist who hoped to provide
unity to the grassroots environmental movement and increase
ecological awareness.

On April 22, 1994, former President Richard M. Nixon died
after suffering a stroke four days earlier. In a 1978 speech
at Oxford University, Nixon admitted he had screwed up
during his   presidency but predicted that his achievements
would be viewed more favorably with time.               

He told the young audience, “You’ll be here in the year
2000, see how I am regarded then.”         
   
Nixon is most often remembered for his involvement in
the Watergate scandal as president and for his Cold War-
era persecution of suspected communists while serving
as a U.S. senator. However, Nixon left a legacy as complex
as his personality.