Chris Tse's Blog

The Event: On April 22, 1970, the very first Earth Day was celebrated across the United States. Conceived by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin and organized by activist Denis Hayes, the event aimed to promote ecology and raise awareness about rampant pollution. This historical moment is visualized in a realistic oil painting, which captures the massive, energized crowd gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. In the mid-ground, thousands of diverse young people are seen near a temporary stage and the reflecting pool, with the Washington Monument rising under a soft, golden late afternoon sky. Faintly visible, hand-painted signs and banners made of fabric read “EARTH DAY 1970,” “SAVE OUR PLANET,” and “CLEAN AIR NOW.” The brushwork captures the textured, grassroots feel of the massive gathering, with smaller figures planting saplings in the foreground, underscoring the focus on collective action and environmental stewardship.

The Impact: The initial impact of Earth Day was explosive. It mobilized an estimated 20 million Americans—at the time, roughly 10% of the U.S. population—making it the largest single-day protest in human history. This monumental demonstration of public concern provided the critical political momentum needed to pass landmark environmental legislation. Within months, the event directly led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and, soon after, the Passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts, fundamental laws that reshape environmental policy. Today, Earth Day is observed globally by more than one billion people, symbolizing the enduring legacy of that single day in 1970 and continuing to unite people in the ongoing fight to protect our shared planet.

April 22 is a busy date in history, but it is perhaps most globally recognized as the birth of a major environmental movement.

🌿 The Birth of Earth Day (1970)

On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated in the United States. Proposed by Senator Gaylord Nelson and organized by activist Denis Hayes, it brought 20 million Americans—roughly 10% of the population at the time—out into the streets to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment. This massive mobilization eventually led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.

Beyond environmentalism, this date marks several turning points in exploration, war, and human rights:

1500: Discovery of Brazil – Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral landed in South America, claiming the land that would become Brazil for Portugal.

1915: Second Battle of Ypres – During World War I, German forces launched the first large-scale use of lethal poison gas (chlorine gas) on the Western Front, changing the nature of modern warfare forever.

1945: Hitler Admits Defeat – In the final days of World War II, Adolf Hitler acknowledged the war was lost to his generals in the Führerbunker after learning that Soviet forces had surrounded Berlin.

2016: The Paris Agreement – In a symbolic move on Earth Day, 174 countries and the European Union signed the Paris Agreement at the UN, a landmark international treaty on climate change.

The Founding of Rome (April 21, 753 BC)

The Event: According to Roman mythology, the foundation of the eternal city occurred on April 21, 753 BC. This date marks the traditional founding of Rome by Romulus, who, with his twin brother Remus, had been raised by a she-wolf after being abandoned as infants. The two brothers argued over the exact location of their new city; Romulus favored the Palatine Hill, while Remus advocated for the Aventine Hill. This oil painting captures the pivotal moment on the rugged Palatine Hill under a warm, late afternoon sky. It depicts Romulus, a strong figure in rustic bronze armor and a deep red mantle, commanding founding Roman men who are physically laboring to construct the first primitive tufa stone walls and wooden palisades along the hill’s edge.

The Impact: The historical impact of this foundation, though legendary in its details, cannot be overstated. From this humble, traditional start on the Palatine, Rome would grow to become one of the most powerful and influential civilizations in human history, dominating the Mediterranean world for centuries. The principles of Roman law, the Latin language, engineering marvels, and administrative systems established here laid the foundation for Western civilization and still resonate in modern governance, language, and urban planning today. The date of April 21st continues to be celebrated in Rome as Natalis Romae, the birthday of the city, honoring its enduring legacy and its central role in shaping the history of Europe and the world.

The Isolation of Radium (April 20, 1902)

The Event: On April 20, 1902, in a leaky, makeshift laboratory in Paris, Marie and Pierre Curie successfully isolated radioactive radium salts from pitchblende. This watercolor rendering visualizes the breakthrough moment on rough paper. The scene is quiet, focused, and bathed in cool light from a large window on the left. Marie Curie, with dark hair and a heavy apron, is depicted using transparent gray and sepia washes, carefully manipulating evaporating dishes and a glass rod. Pierre Curie stands beside her, his figure defined by soft blue and brown washes, observing intently. A subtle, ethereal pale blue glow, suggested by wet-on-wet watercolor bleeding, emanates from a tiny dish on the central workbench, illuminating the surrounding glass beakers, scientific apparatus, and the clutter of their research.

The Impact: The isolation of radium was a monumental achievement that transformed physics and chemistry. It confirmed the existence of a new element and provided definitive proof of radioactivity as an atomic property. For this work, the Curies were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 (sharing it with Henri Becquerel), and Marie later received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911. The discovery had profound implications: it revolutionized our understanding of atomic structure, led to the development of radiotherapy for treating cancer, and opened the door to the nuclear age. Radium’s powerful, luminous glow became a symbol of early 20th-century scientific optimism, though its tragic health effects later highlighted the hidden dangers of the atomic frontier.

An oil painting rendering of “the shot heard round the world” at Lexington Green, April 19, 1775.

The Event

On the morning of April 19, 1775, the American Revolutionary War began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. British troops marched from Boston toward Concord to seize a cache of weapons and arrest rebel leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock. At dawn on Lexington Green, about 80 minutemen faced a significantly larger British force. A single, unidentified shot—now famously known as “the shot heard ’round the world”—triggered a flurry of musket fire. The British then moved on to Concord, where they were met by hundreds of militiamen at the North Bridge. The ensuing conflict forced the British into a chaotic, 20-mile retreat to Boston, during which they were relentlessly ambushed by colonial snipers.

The Impact

The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the definitive point of no return for the American colonies. This first military engagement proved that the “ragtag” colonial militias were a formidable force capable of resisting the world’s most powerful empire. The news of the battle spread rapidly, uniting the colonies in a shared cause and directly leading to the convening of the Second Continental Congress and the creation of the Continental Army. It marked the start of a seven-year struggle for independence that would eventually lead to the birth of the United States and inspire revolutionary movements across the globe, forever altering the landscape of modern democracy.