April 22nd is International Mother Earth Day and the related World Earth Selfie Day. Also on this day, events took place that left a deep mark in world, Ukrainian, and cultural history.
International Mother Earth Day
This day has become a symbol of global solidarity in preserving our planet. This day is not just another holiday in the ecological calendar: it is designed to remind everyone that the Earth is our common home, and its health depends on the actions of each of us.
The initiative to celebrate Earth Day originated in 1970 in the USA, when Senator Gaylord Nelson called for mass actions to protect the environment. Then more than 20 million Americans took to the streets to express their protest against the pollution of air, water, soil and irresponsible treatment of nature. This was the beginning of a powerful environmental movement, which soon covered the whole world.
In 2009, the UN General Assembly officially declared April 22 as International Mother Earth Day. Such a name is not accidental: it reflects not only respect for the planet, but also emphasizes its living essence, our deep connection with it as a source of life, support and inspiration.
This day became a platform for discussing such important topics as climate change, loss of biodiversity, destruction of forests, massive pollution of oceans and soils with plastic, and deterioration of air and water quality. Hundreds of community organizations, schools, universities, municipalities and ordinary people around the world participate in tree planting, clean-up, educational events, environmental events and scientific forums.
In Ukraine, Earth Day has a special meaning, because environmental problems are exacerbated also due to the consequences of the war: millions of hectares contaminated by explosive objects, destroyed forests, poisoned reservoirs and a significant load on the energy system. At the same time, Ukrainian society is increasingly involved in environmental protection: waste sorting is developing, forests are being restored, and the demand for environmental education is growing.
International Mother Earth Day is a call to stop, look around and feel responsibility for the planet we live on. Not as resources to be mindlessly consumed, but as a home to be protected. Not for one day, but every day.
Interesting facts
The name “Mother Earth” in the official context was introduced by the UN, recognizing the cultural and philosophical tradition of many peoples, for whom the Earth is perceived as a living being that gives life.
The first Earth Day in 1970 brought together more than 20 million people — the largest public gathering in US history at the time. It was because of this event that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created.
More than 190 countries around the world celebrate this day — from Canada to Kenya, from Japan to Colombia. For many of them, Earth Day has turned into a week of active environmental activities.
In 2020, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, events took place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, the event drew more than 100 million online participants — the largest digital event in the history of the environmental movement.
Every second, about 1.5 hectares of forest are cut down on the planet — that’s more than 120 million hectares per year. Most of the deforestation occurs in the tropics, in particular the Amazon, which is also called the “lungs of the planet”.
Only 9% of plastic in the world is recycled, the rest is either burned or pollutes the environment, including the oceans. Some microplastics have already been found in Antarctic snow and human placenta.
Earth is the only known planet in the universe that has life, although scientists are exploring thousands of exoplanets in search of Earth-like conditions.
The planet’s temperature has risen by about 1.2°C since the pre-industrial era, and if it exceeds 1.5°C, it could cause irreversible climate change, including melting glaciers, rising ocean levels and droughts.
World Earth Selfie Day
On April 22, together with the International Day of Mother Earth, the world celebrates another bright initiative – World Earth Selfie Day. This holiday combines environmental awareness, technology and human emotion in a single gesture – a selfie against the background of nature. And although it does not have the status of an official day in the UN calendar, it is this informality that gives it special energy: it was born from the initiative of scientists, but has become the global voice of ordinary people.
Earth Selfie Day was celebrated for the first time in 2014, initiated by the American space agency NASA. The goal was to create a “planetary portrait of humanity” in the literal sense. NASA invited people from all over the world to take a selfie against the background of their natural surroundings: forest, river, steppe, mountains or sea. The photo had to be posted on social networks with the hashtag #GlobalSelfie. Later, these images became part of a large digital collage of the planet — a kind of “selfie” of the Earth through the eyes of its inhabitants.
The idea turned out to be extremely popular. People from all continents joined the initiative, including the most remote points — from Antarctica to the Amazon jungle. Thousands of photos were combined into a mosaic that demonstrated not only the geographical diversity of the planet, but also the universal desire of people to show their love and care for the Earth.
Unlike official environmental forums and meetings, this day has a personal, emotional component. This is the day when millions of people remember: we are not only consumers of resources, but also part of a large living organism. It is a simple but profound gesture — to look at yourself and the nature around you, to feel part of the global landscape.
Every year on April 22, users of social networks repost their photos with the tag #GlobalSelfie. And although there is no official coordination from NASA anymore, the initiative has a life of its own. It is supported by public organizations, educational platforms, eco-activists, tourists, teachers, students and children.
Interesting facts
Global Selfie 2014 was the first digital “portrait of the planet” from human faces, created from 36,000 selfies from over 100 countries. The mosaic had a resolution of 3.2 gigapixels.
The idea came about as part of NASA’s “Earth Right Now” campaign, dedicated to the new Earth observation satellites being launched that year.
Among the most original selfies are photos from the tops of mountains, deserts, jungles, stations in the Pacific Ocean, as well as from the ISS (International Space Station).
The hashtag #GlobalSelfie is still used every April, and even without official coordination, continues to unite thousands of people.
Some educational institutions hold special “eco-photo sessions” on Earth Selfie Day, where children take pictures against the background of trees, school gardens, flowerbeds or park areas, after which they discuss environmental responsibility.
Ukrainian eco-activists also joined the initiative, especially in 2018-2021, when they added short messages to selfies about the preservation of the Dnipro, Carpathians, steppes, swamps and unique Ukrainian flora.
Historical events on this day
1915 During the First World War, near the Belgian city of Ypres, German troops used chemical weapons for the first time – chlorine gas. It was the first large-scale case of a gas attack on the front, which opened a new era of terrible warfare. The toxic cloud killed thousands of soldiers and left many injured among those who survived. After that, chemical weapons were recognized as one of the most dangerous in military history.
1918 — The Crimean group of the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic under the command of Petro Bolbochan carried out a strategically important operation: took control of Dzhankoy, and already on April 24 entered Simferopol. This operation, carried out in compliance with a secret government order, was ahead of the German forces, who also claimed control of the peninsula. The capture of Crimea became a symbol of the military determination of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and an important moment in the struggle for statehood.
1921 — The Chicago City Council made a rather unexpected decision for today’s perception: to fine women for short skirts and bare arms. Fines ranged from $10 to $100. This episode is a vivid testimony of social norms and the struggle for women’s rights in the 20th century, when even ordinary clothing could become the subject of legal restrictions.
1922 — In Podebrady (Czechoslovakia), the Ukrainian Economic Academy was solemnly opened, which was later transformed into the Technical and Economic Institute. This educational institution became an important center of Ukrainian emigrant education, preserving the traditions of national economic thinking in conditions of exile. Its graduates made a significant contribution to the development of the Ukrainian economy and science abroad.
1943 — Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann made the first scientific report on the psychoactive properties of LSD. He himself was accidentally exposed to the substance and described vivid hallucinogenic experiences. This event initiated a long period of experimentation with psychotropic agents in medicine, psychology, and the counterculture.
1952 — About 35 million Americans witnessed a unique television broadcast: a report from the site of a nuclear test in the Nevada desert. It was the first time viewers could see the power of a nuclear explosion in real time, fueling fears and excitement about the new era of atomic energy.
1967 — In Greece, the so-called junta of “black colonels” came to power through a military coup. The regime severely limited civil liberties, introduced censorship and mass repressions. This period in the country’s history lasted until 1974 and left a painful memory of the dictatorship in the minds of generations.
1969 — In Houston, American surgeons performed the first successful human eye transplant in history. Although it was not possible to restore vision, the very fact of transplantation became a breakthrough in transplantology and opened new horizons for future research and treatment of eye diseases.
1970 — Earth Day was celebrated for the first time in the USA, an environmental initiative that brought together millions of people in more than 2,000 universities, 10,000 schools and hundreds of cities. This day launched a mass environmental movement in the United States and became the impetus for the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
2004 — On a railway in North Korea near the Chinese border, two trains collided catastrophically: one was carrying gasoline, the other was carrying explosives. A powerful explosion destroyed the station and nearby buildings, killing up to 3,000 people. It became one of the largest man-made incidents in North Korea.
2007 — The premiere of the episode “Love’s Labors Lost in Space” of the popular American animated series “Futurama” took place on the Ukrainian airwaves. The series was distinguished by humor, criticism of modern society and science fiction subtext, cementing the series in the status of a cult among the youth audience.
April 22, 1844 The Ozeryan icon of the Mother of God became the main shrine of the Intercession Cathedral in Kharkiv. It was on this day, according to the old-style church calendar, that the annual procession for the return of the icon from Kharkov to the Kuryaz monastery was established. This became possible after His Holiness Innocent got official permission from the Holy Synod and Emperor Nicholas I to annually transfer the miraculous image to Kharkov during the winter months, where the icon was in the Intercession Cathedral, and in the spring it returned to the place of its first veneration – to Kuriazh.
The Ozeryan icon itself has long been considered the patroness of Kharkiv and the entire Slobozhanshchyna. The Intercession Cathedral, where the icon is kept, is the tenth of the twelve symbols of Kharkiv, and the image itself is the most important spiritual shrine of the region. According to folk legend, the icon was revealed to a peasant near the village of Ozeryany at the end of the 18th century. During the scythe, he accidentally cut the icon in half with a scythe. Shocked and confused, he took both pieces home, placed them in the red corner, and lit a candle. The next morning he saw that the icon had healed: joined by an invisible force, it left only a thin trace of dissection.
Since that time, the image began to manifest numerous miracles. Near the place of his appearance, a church was built in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, and it was there that his widespread veneration began. The story of 1871, when a cholera epidemic hit Kharkiv, became especially significant. The Ozeryan icon was carried around homes, shops, markets, streets – prayer services were held everywhere in the city. After that, the cholera suddenly retreated. The people attached the name “Savior from diseases” to the icon. They turn to her with prayers for health, healing from ailments, spiritual care and salvation.
It is interesting that the Ozeryan icon is mentioned in the modern anthem of the Kharkiv region as a holy symbol of the region’s spiritual unity. And although not all residents of the region, and even officials, know about the hymn itself, its text clearly testifies to deep respect for the Mother of God:
“Kharkiv region, the land of Slobojan,
We are loyal to you for life
Mother of God Ozeryanska
Sanctified our future.”
This fragment sounds like a real spiritual connection of generations with a miraculous image that continues to be a source of faith, hope and protection for the people of Kharkiv.
April 22, 1952 35 million Americans witnessed a live television broadcast of a nuclear bomb test in the Nevada desert. It was the first ever live broadcast of a nuclear explosion, which caused an unprecedented resonance in society. Despite the fact that the broadcast began at 5:30 in the morning local time, the ratings beat all expectations – millions of viewers gathered around the screens to see the power of the new weapon with their own eyes.
For many Americans, these tests became a source of national pride — each new explosion seemed more powerful than the previous one, and it was perceived as a symbol of the power of the United States. Enthusiasm reigned in the media, the broadcast was accompanied by technical commentary and a sense of scientific triumph. American society in the 1950s lived in the atmosphere of the Cold War, and such spectacles only strengthened the belief in the strategic superiority over the USSR.
At that time, no one spoke openly about the consequences of these explosions. The impact of radiation, ecological destruction, diseases of the local population and the military, which participated in exercises near the epicenter, remained outside the information field. Only a decade later, the first independent studies appeared that pointed to the disastrous consequences of these “TV shows” for people and the environment.
The event of April 22, 1952 was not only a television breakthrough, but also a symbol of an era when spectacle and political display of power overshadowed ethical and humanitarian considerations.
April 22, 1992 in the Mexican city of Guadalajara — the country’s second largest city — one of the worst man-made disasters in Latin America took place. Four powerful explosions occurred in a residential area, covering the territory of several blocks and lasting for four hours and fourteen minutes. At least 252 people died, more than 1,440 were injured, 15,000 residents were left homeless, and 450 businesses were destroyed. Damages were estimated at between 300 million and 1 billion US dollars.
As it turned out later, the causes of the tragedy date back to 1980, when a temporary worker hired for engineering work laid sewage pipes in the same trench as the gasoline line. This, at first glance, technical solution turned out to be fatal: sewage pipes were galvanized, while gasoline pipes were made of steel. The contact between the zinc and the steel caused electrochemical corrosion, which subsequently damaged the pipes and leaked gasoline into underground utilities. Fuel accumulated under the streets, filling sewer tunnels for kilometers ahead.
A few days before the explosions, residents of the area complained en masse about the smell of gasoline wafting from hatches and storm drains. People were scared, but the authorities assured on the radio that there was no danger, they said that everything was under control. They did not evacuate residents, stop traffic, and shut down the network. When the explosions finally happened, they turned the entire area into ruins, destroying streets, houses, and infrastructure. The blast wave spread for kilometers.
The disaster in Guadalajara is an illustration of how a series of technical errors, bureaucratic indifference and human neglect can lead to a large-scale tragedy. The same “butterfly effect” – a seemingly minor engineering decision made decades earlier set off a chain of events that eventually exploded with incredible force.
And the most painful thing in this story is the indifference of the authorities, which denied the threat until the last, even when the residents already felt the danger. Such stories are familiar to many countries – when warnings are ignored and the truth comes only with smoke and debris.
April 22, 1998 Vadym Petrovych Hetman was killed in the entrance of his own house – at that time the head of the Exchange Committee of the Ukrainian Interbank Currency Exchange. It became one of the loudest political and financial tragedies in the history of independent Ukraine.
Vadym Hetman was a person who made an invaluable contribution to the formation of the national financial system. It was he who stood at the origins of Ukraine’s monetary independence, played a key role in the creation of the national currency, the hryvnia. But something else was no less significant: the Hetman gave the future president Viktor Yushchenko a “ticket to life”, contributing to his appointment to the post of chairman of the National Bank.
His death became an event that many consider decisive for Leonid Kuchma’s second presidential term. After the assassination of the Hetman, the political course in the state acquired new, tougher contours, and influential figures who could compete with the national elite were removed or secluded.
The suspect in the murder was arrested only in 2002. He turned out to be Serhiy Kulev – he was 29 years old at the time of the crime. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment. At the same time, according to some sources, Kulev was a member of the so-called “Kushnir gang”, which operated in the criminal circles of Kyiv at the time. And although the investigation did not officially prove the political motivation of the murder, the death of Vadym Hetman remains one of the most mysterious and discussed in Ukrainian political history.
