The first Arbor Day was in the newly settled Nebraska territory where the pioneers realized how few trees there were and how good they were to have as a wind break, fuel, shade, building materials, or soil stabilizer. Then Julius S. Morton who was a newspaper editor used his platform to share his knowledge of trees and help share with others how important they were. He also joined the Nebraska Board of Agriculture where he proposed a day to encourage others to plant trees. The first Arbor Day was April 10, 1872, when they planted approximately one-million trees. The tradition began to spread and was an official state holiday in Nebraska in 1885. April 22 was then chosen as the official date for Arbor Day for ideal weather and to recognize Morton’s birthday. In 1970 President Nixon proclaimed Arbor Day a national holiday.