Editing Earth Day (section)

===Significance of April 22===
[[File:NASA-14147-EarthDay20140422-GlobalSelfie-20140522.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Global [[selfie]] – Earth Day, April 22, 2014.]]
Nelson chose the date to maximize participation on college campuses for what he conceived as an "environmental teach-in". He determined the week of April 19–25 was the best bet as it did not fall during exams or spring breaks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 18, 2010 |title=A proposal reprinted across the country |url=http://www.nelsonearthday.net/earth-day/proposal.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326062706/http://www.nelsonearthday.net/earth-day/proposal.htm |archive-date=March 26, 2013 |access-date=April 15, 2013 |publisher=Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies}}</ref> Moreover, it did not conflict with religious holidays such as Easter or Passover, and was late enough in spring to have decent weather. More students were likely to be in class, and there would be less competition with other mid-week events{{snd}}so he chose Wednesday, April 22. The day also fell after the anniversary of the birth of noted conservationist [[John Muir]]. The [[National Park Service]], [[John Muir National Historic Site]], has a celebration every year on or around Earth Day (April 21, 22 or 23), called Birthday–Earth Day, in recognition of Earth Day and John Muir's contribution to the collective consciousness of environmentalism and conservation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=MacDonald |first=Jim |date=April 7, 2016 |title=John Muir National Historic Site Celebrates John Muir's Birthday, Earth Day and the Centennial of the National Park Service |url=https://www.nps.gov/jomu/learn/news/john-muir-national-historic-site-celebrates-john-muir-s-birthday-earth-day-and-the-centennial-of-the-national-park-service.htm |access-date=August 12, 2019 |website=National Park Service |publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=John Muir Birthday – Earth Day Celebration Come join us on April 18th, 2020 at the John Muir National Historic Site |url=https://www.johnmuirassociation.org/php/bday-earthday/bday-earthday.php |access-date=August 12, 2019 |website=John Muir Association |quote=John Muir inspired people all over the world to "keep close to nature's heart." In this spirit, we celebrate John Muir's birthday at his former home, along with Earth Day, which brings us closer to knowing our planet and practical ways to help it thrive.}}</ref>

Unbeknownst to Nelson,<ref name="NelsonCampbell2002">{{Cite book |last1=Gaylord Nelson |url=https://archive.org/details/beyondearthdayfu00nels_0 |title=Beyond Earth Day: fulfilling the promise |last2=Susan Campbell |last3=Paul R. Wozniak |publisher=Univ of Wisconsin Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-299-18040-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/beyondearthdayfu00nels_0/page/7 7] |access-date=April 15, 2013 |url-access=registration}}</ref> April 22, 1970, was coincidentally the [[century|100th anniversary]] of the birth of [[Vladimir Lenin]], when translated to the [[Gregorian calendar]] (which the Soviets adopted in 1918). ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' reported that some suspected the date was not a coincidence, but a clue that the event was "a Communist trick", and quoted a member of the [[Daughters of the American Revolution]] as saying, "subversive elements plan to make American children live in an environment that is good for them."<ref name="time-memento">{{Cite magazine |date=May 4, 1970 |title=A Memento Mori to the Earth |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,943782,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024193851/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,943782,00.html |archive-date=October 24, 2007 |access-date=April 15, 2013 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> [[J. Edgar Hoover]], director of the U.S. [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]], may have found the Lenin connection intriguing; it was alleged the FBI conducted surveillance at the 1970 demonstrations.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Finney, John W. |date=April 15, 1971 |title=Muski says FBI spied at rallies on '70 Earth Day |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0917F73A5F127A93C7A8178FD85F458785F9 |work=[[The New York Times]] |page=1}}</ref> The idea that the date was chosen to celebrate Lenin's centenary still persists in some quarters,<ref>{{Cite journal |date=May 2000 |title=Of Leo and Lenin: Happy Earth Day from the Religious Right |journal=Church & State |volume=53 |issue=5 |page=20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Marriott |first=Alexander |date=April 21, 2004 |title=This Earth Day Celebrate Vladimir Lenin's Birthday! |url=http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=3382 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105201444/http://capmag.com/article.asp?ID=3382 |archive-date=January 5, 2010 |access-date=April 22, 2007 |website=Capitalism Magazine}}</ref> an idea borne out by the similarity with the [[subbotnik]] instituted by Lenin in 1920 as days on which people would have to do community service, which typically consisted in removing rubbish from public property and collecting recyclable material. Subbotniks were also imposed on other countries within the compass of Soviet power, including Eastern Europe, and at the height of its power the Soviet Union established a nationwide subbotnik to be celebrated on Lenin's birthday, April 22, which had been proclaimed a national holiday celebrating communism by [[Nikita Khrushchev]] in 1955.