In 1963, the founder of Earth Day Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, began to worry about our planet. He knew that our world was getting dirty and that many of our plants and animals were dying. He wondered why people were not reacting to solve these problems. The first Earth Day, a nationwide environmental protest began on 22 April 1970, which is a special day to look at the planet and to see what needs changing in our environment. After that, different events such as festivals and rallies are often organized for the weekends before or after April 22 in different parts of the world every year. Many communities also celebrate Earth Week or Earth Month by organizing a series of environmental activities throughout the month of April.