Arbor Day | Description, History, & Facts

Arbor Day, holiday observed in many countries by planting trees. It was first proposed in the 19th century by J. Sterling Morton, an American journalist and politician, who famously wrote, “Other holidays repose upon the past; Arbor Day proposes for the future.”

Morton, the editor of a Nebraska newspaper, often wrote agricultural articles and shared his passion for trees with his readers. There were relatively few trees in the state at the time, and for several years Morton proposed such a holiday to encourage his fellow Nebraskans to plant trees. He believed that trees would serve as effective windbreaks, protecting crops from erosion and overexposure to the sun, and would provide fuel and building materials. The first Arbor Day celebration was held in Nebraska on April 10, 1872, and more than one million trees were planted. During the 1870s several U.S. states established Arbor Day as a holiday, and in 1885 Nebraska declared J. Sterling Morton’s birthday, April 22, as the date of the holiday. In the 1880s American schools typically observed the day by planting trees as memorials of historical events and in honour of famous people.

In the United States, Arbor Day is now most commonly observed on the last Friday in April, though some states have moved the date to coincide with the best tree planting weather. For example, Arbor Day in Florida is observed on the third Friday in January, while in Alaska it is celebrated on the third Monday in May. Many other countries also observe the holiday but often on a different day and under a different name.