This oil spill in Santa Monica was the worst in U.S. waters at the time.

The weekend oil leak along the Southern California coast happened not far from the site of the catastrophe more than a generation ago that helped give rise to the modern environmental movement itself: the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill.

As we mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how we can help the planet. “As we celebrate the fiftieth Earth Day, we all know we have lots of work to do to make the environment even better, but this is also a big day of celebration. Since then, Earth Day has grown to be the largest global environmental event. Today, it’s celebrated in more than 192 countries worldwide under the moniker International Mother Earth Day. Celebrate Earth Day with some virtual programming from Houston!