50 Earth Day Trivia Questions and Answers to Inspire You to Protect the Planet

Earth Day is on April 22, but really, it should be every day—saving the planet should be a daily occurrence! From conservation to wildlife to politics, test your environmental and historical knowledge with this Earth Day quiz with trivia questions and answers.

Earth Day Quiz With Trivia Questions and Answers

Question: Who is credited with founding Earth Day?
Answer: Gaylord Nelson

Question: The founder of Earth Day is a senator from which state?Answer: Wisconsin

Question: Who took Earth Day international?
Answer: Denis Hayes

Question: When is Earth Day?
Answer: April 22

Question: Earth Day's date was chosen because it falls between which two events on college campuses?
Answer: Spring break and final exams

Question: When was the first Earth Day?
Answer: 1970

Question: How many people recognized the first Earth Day?
Answer: 20 million

Question: How many indigenous people inhabit forests worldwide?
Answer: About 50 million

Question: Which bestselling book warned of the effects of pesticides?
Answer: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

Related: Looking for the Best Earth Day Activities? Here Are 15 Fun Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

Question: Which Hollywood actors spoke to crowds in Union Square in New York City on the first Earth Day?
Answer: Paul Newman and Ali MacGraw

Question: What region on Earth produces 20% of the planet's oxygen?
Answer: The Amazon rainforest

Question: How many people attended the first Earth Day rally in New York City's Union Square?
Answer: 20,000

Question: Earth Day detractors argued that the first celebration was really to honor whose 100th birthday?
Answer: Vladimir Lenin

Question: How many countries (so far) have celebrated Earth Day?
Answer: 192

Question: Earth Day's founding was partially inspired by protestors against what?
Answer: The Vietnam War

Question: The first Earth Day eventually led to the creation of which government agency?
Answer: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Question: Which president created the EPA?
Answer: Richard Nixon

Question: Which U.S. president joined Gaylord Nelson for a multi-state conservation-themed tour?
Answer: John F. Kennedy

Question: In addition to establishing the EPA, President Nixon also passed which pieces of legislation in 1970 inspired by the Earth Day movement?
Answer: National Environmental Education Act,  the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act

Related: 25 Earth Day Facts

Question: When did the Clean Water Act pass?
Answer: 1972

Question: The United Nations has what name for Earth Day?
Answer: International Mother Earth Day

Question: Approximately how many people participate in Earth Day each year?
Answer: 1 billion

Question: Most of Earth's breathable air comes from where?
Answer: The ocean

Question: Which astronauts brought tree seeds with him into space that were later grown on Earth?
Answer: Stuart Roosa

Question: A single tree produces enough air to supply in its lifetime for how many people for a year?
Answer: Four

Question: Which president honored Gaylord Nelson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom?
Answer: Bill Clinton

Question: In 2012, how many commuters in China rode bikes to protest carbon emissions and air pollution?
Answer: 100,000

Question: In 1970, students at San Fernando State College passed out what to represent the future famine the planet would face if environmental protections weren't enacted?
Answer: Rice and tea

Question: In 1970, students at Florida Technological University held a mock trial for what, accusing it of air pollution?
Answer: A Chevrolet

Question: Gaylord Nelson was moved to create Earth Day after which disaster?
Answer: Santa Barbara oil spill

Question: Who wrote the Earth Day theme song?
Answer: Abhay Kumar

Question: How many college campuses participated in the first Earth Day?
Answer: About 1,500

Question: What singer sailed from New York City to Washington, D.C. for the first Earth Day?
Answer: Pete Seeger

Question: Who took a zero-carbon voyage from Europe to the United States to raise awareness of climate change?
Answer: Greta Thunberg

Related: 30 Inspiring Quotes for Earth Day: ‘The Environment Is Where We All Meet’

Question: In Panama, 100 endangered species of what were planted for Earth Day?
Answer: Orchids

Question: In 2011, 28 million trees were planted in which country for the Earth Day "Plant Trees, Not Bombs" campaign?
Answer: Afghanistan

Question: When did Earth Day go global?
Answer: 1990

Question: What holiday followed Earth Day in 1972?
Answer: World Environment Day

Question: Which President signed the Paris Agreement?
Answer: Barack Obama

Question: What 1968 book warned of the dangers of overpopulation on the planet?
Answer: The Population Bomb by Paul Erlich

Question: What American river caught fire in 1969 from all of the waste and pollution filling it?
Answer: Cuyahoga River

Question: What organization largely funded the first Earth Day?
Answer: United Auto Workers (also known as The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America)

Question: Gaylord Nelson and Denis Hayes originally planned for the first Earth Day to be what type of event?
Answer: An environmental teach-in

Question: What was referred to as "The Dirty Dozen" in 1970?
Answer: Congressmen with poor environmental records

Question: What famous poet attended the first Earth Day event in Philadelphia?
Answer: Allen Ginsburg

Question: Who wrote the Earth Day single "Tomorrow's World?"
Answer: Pam Tillis and Kix Brooks

Question: When did Google introduce their first Earth Day doodle?
Answer: 2001

Question: Equinox Earth Day takes place when each year?
Answer: March 20

Question: April 22 is the birthdate of which famous conservationist?
Answer: John Muir

Question: What is the theme of Earth Day 2024?
Answer: Planet vs. Plastics

Next, test your knowledge with these 10 best Earth Day quizzes!