- Arbor Day was first celebrated on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska. The observance was established by Julius Sterling Morton, a Michigan native who moved to Nebraska, where he worked as a journalist and editor. Morton missed trees in his adopted state. An avid fan of agriculture, Morton encouraged the planting of trees through his articles and editorials.
- Morton suggested a tree-planting observance at a meeting with Nebraska's State Board of Agriculture in January of 1872. To encourage tree plantings, prizes were proposed for counties and people responsible for the most new trees. The first Arbor Day resulted in the planting of more than 1 million trees in the Cornhusker State. Arbor Day was made a legal holiday in Nebraska in 1885. Morton's birthday, April 22, was chosen as the date for its celebration.
- During the 1870s, other states soon followed suit enacting Arbor Day as an official observance. Kansas, Tennessee, Minnesota and Ohio were some of the first states to establish Arbor Day after Nebraska. Currently, all 50 states commemorate Arbor Day. Richard Nixon declared the final Friday of April as National Arbor Day in 1970.
- Arbor Day is also observed internationally, though the designation for tree planting is recognized by other names. According to arborday.net, Japan celebrates "Greening Week," Israel commemorates "The New Year's Day of the Trees," Yugoslavia supports "The Reforestation Week," Iceland has "The Students' Afforestation Day," and India observes "The National Festival of Tree Planting."
- The Arbor Day Foundation recommends several ways for individuals and groups to mark Arbor Day. Organizations can sponsor a beautification cleanup project. Groups can hold a tree trivia contest with trees as prizes or go on a tree identification walk. Individuals can plant a tree in remembrance of a loved one, enjoy a nature walk or take an outing to a park.
