J. Sterling Morton was an American politician and journalist, best known for founding Arbor Day, a holiday dedicated to planting and caring for trees. Born on April 22, 1832, in New York, he moved to Nebraska in 1854, where he became influential in local agriculture and environmental conservation. Morton served as the Secretary of the Nebraska Territory and later as the state's first Secretary of Agriculture. His advocacy for tree planting led to the first official Arbor Day celebration on April 10, 1872, which encouraged communities to plant millions of trees across the United States.