In 1971, a small group of activists set sail from Vancouver in a fishing boat they named Greenpeace. Their destination was Amchitka, a volcanic island in the Aleutian Islands, west of Alaska, where the United States was set to detonate a nuclear bomb. The activists feared the underground explosion, the third such test on the island, would trigger devastating earthquakes and tsunamis. Amchitka was also the last refuge for 3,000 endangered sea otters, and home to bald eagles, peregrine falcons and other wildlife. The activists — the founders of Greenpeace — hoped to halt the controversial test with their presence and failing that, bear witness to the event.

On board the Greenpeace boat, founding member Bob Metcalfe called CBC radio and made a statement: “We call our ship the Greenpeace because that’s the best name we can think of to join the two great issues of our times, the survival of our environment and the peace of the world. Our goal is a simple, clear and direct one — to bring about a confrontation between the people of death and the people of life. We do not consider ourselves to be radicals. We are conservatives, who insist upon conserving the environment for our children and future generations.” It was another founding member, Bill Darnell, who coined the organization’s name when someone flashed him a peace sign and he said, “Let’s make that a green peace!”

Before Greenpeace arrived at Amchitka, the boat was intercepted by a U.S. navy ship and forced to turn back. When the activists returned to Vancouver, they learned their inaugural action had sparked a flurry of public interest and generated widespread compassion for their cause. The U.S. still detonated the bomb, but the voice of reason had been heard. Nuclear testing on Amchitka ended that same year, and the island was later declared a bird sanctuary.

Throughout the 1970s, Greenpeace spread to several countries and began campaigning on various environmental issues, including commercial whaling and toxic waste. In 1979, Greenpeace International was formed and is today based in Amsterdam. Greenpeace is now the world’s most visible environmental organization, with offices in more than 40 countries and over 2.9 million members worldwide.