Historically, Gaylord Nelson, the "Father of Earth Day," served as Governor of Wisconsin and U.S. Senator from 1963 to 1981, before implementing his Earth Day initiative, he championed the Wisconsin environment and established the Outdoor Recreation Act Program (ORAP) and the Wisconsin Stewardship Program. The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, following a period of low environmental awareness and low focus on environmental issues. In 1969, Nelson proposed a nationwide demonstration to push environmental issues onto the political agenda, leading to the creation of the U.N. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and passage of laws like the Clean Air Act and Endangered Species Act. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995 for his environmental work.