Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22nd in the United States, having been founded by US Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970 to raise public awareness of environmental issues. The International Earth Day, organized by the United Nations, falls on either March 20th or 21st and was started by peace activist John McConnell. Ways to observe Earth Day include planting gardens, reusing shopping bags, conserving water usage, and turning off unused lights to help the environment every day.