1970: The first Earth Day was held and involved more than 20 million people to advocate for an increased awareness of environmental issues. By 2013, more than one billion people in 192 countries annually participate in Earth Day activities. Earth Day is now the largest civic participation advocacy initiative. However, Rachel Carson, author of the 1962 book, Silent Spring, is viewed as the founder of the environmental movement when she called attention to the dangers of chemical pesticides in the agricultural industry through her 1962 book. She did not live to see the first Earth Day as she died at the age of 56 in 1964.

1964: The New York World's Fair opened at Flushing Meadows-Corona State Park in Queens, a borough of New York City. The centerpiece of the fair was the Unisphere, a giant steel globe that still stands in the park today.