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Publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring
When the book Silent Spring was published, Rachel Carson was already a well-known writer on natural history, but had not previously been a social critic. The book was widely read—especially after its selection by the Book-of-the-Month Club and the New York Times best-seller list—and inspired widespread public concerns with pesticides and pollution of the environment. Silent Spring facilitated the ban of the pesticide DDT in 1972 in the United States. -
Publication of Betty Friedan’s Feminine Mystique
a nonfiction book written by Betty Friedan. It is widely credited with sparking the beginning of second-wave feminism in the United States. -
Publication of Ralph Nader’s Unsafe at Any Speed
a book detailing resistance by car manufacturers to the introduction of safety features, like seat belts, and their general reluctance to spend money on improving safety. It was a pioneering work, openly polemical but containing substantial references and material from industry insiders. -
NOW is Founded
is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. -
UFW’s Nationwide Boycott of grapes picked on nonunion farms
The UFW's first target was the grape growers of California. Chávez, like Martin Luther King, Jr., believed in nonviolent action. In 1967, when growers refused to grant more pay, better working conditions, and union recognition, Chávez organized a successful nationwide consumer boycott of grapes picked on nonunion farms. Later boycotts of lettuce and other crops also won consumer support across the country -
Woodstock
a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969. -
First Earth Day Celebration
Responding to widespread environmental degradation, Gaylord Nelson, a United States Senator from Wisconsin, called for an environmental teach-in, or Earth Day, to be held on April 22, 1970. Over 20 million people participated that year, and Earth Day is now observed on April 22 each year by more than 500 million people and several national governments in 175 countries -
The EPA is Established
The EPA was established as an independent agency of the U.S. government. The first EPA administrator, William D. Ruckelshaus, was sworn in on December 4, 1970. The date should be registered as one of the most important environmental milestones of the 20th century. -
Congress Pases the Clean Air Act
The Clean Air Act of 1970 greatly increased Federal powers to to enforce air pollution abatement programs. The legislation was intended to protect and enhance the quality of this Nation's air resources and to protect the health and welfare of the general public. It directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify and publish a list of known air pollutants. -
Supreme Court rules to legalize abortion in the Roe v. Wade case
when the Supreme Court legalized abortion in the controversial Roe v. Wade decision. The justices based their decision on the constitutional right to personal privacy, and struck down state regulation of abortion in the first three months of pregnancy. However, the ruling still allowed states to restrict abortions during the later stages of pregnancy. -
Protesters from the AIM take over the reservation at Wounded Knee
AIM is also known as Native American Activist this was an organization made in the United States. This movement gathered its people from around the country like broken treaties, championing Indian unity. . The national AIM agenda focused on spirituality, leadership, and sovereignty. Thousands of volunteers emerged from reservations and cities alike, responding to the call within themselves that the time had come to take a stand against centuries of mismanaged U.S. government trust
