conservation

The Albert National Park (later renamed Virunga) in the Belgian Congo becomes the first National Park in Africa.

The UN Conference for Environment and Development (UNED), known as the first “Earth Summit,” takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The United Nations develop a code of conduct for the protection and preservation of global natural habitats and resources.

Wangari Maathai, an environmentalist from Kenya, becomes the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Three global environmental organizations outline principles for conservation and sustainable development.

The first “Earth Day” is celebrated in the US in 1970; by 1990 it is observed worldwide.

The first international conference on global biosphere protection by UNESCO takes place in Paris in 1968.

The Antarctic Treaty is the first international conservation treaty after the end of the Second World War.

The American forestry scientist and wildlife researcher Aldo Leopold publishes his book A Sand County Almanac.

In light of the dramatic decline in whale populations, whaling nations found the International Whaling Commission (IWC).