First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day events are held across the globe to inspire us to appreciate the world we live in and protect our environment. Conservation of natural resources, ending pollution, protecting wildlife, and creating sustainable environments are some of the themes spread among many countries. —Leanne Burden Seidel (18 photos total)

The planet Earth is seen in a photo taken by NOAA’s GOES-East satellite at 07:45EST (11:45GMT) on Earth Day, April 22. (NOAA via Reuters)