Rock for the Rainforest hosted by the organizations' founders Sting and his wife Trudie Styler, started on this day in 1991 as a biennial (formerly annual) benefit concert.
Yahoo!, launched its initial public offering (IPO) on the NASDAQ stock exchange, selling 2.6 million shares at $13 per share
Rock for the Rainforest benefit concert was first held at Carnegie Hall, NYC on this day; performers include: Sting, Elton John, James Taylor, Don Henley, Diana Ross, Robin Williams, Branford Marsalis, and Kenny Kirkland
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The event holds the Guinness World Record for the largest environmental fundraising event. By 1996, the concerts had raised over $6,000,000; by 2000, more than $11,000,000; by 2004, more than $20,000,000.
Money is raised through corporate sponsorships, individual and group ticket sales, and related events like a benefit dinner and silent auction.
The event, which so far has always been held at Carnegie Hall in Midtown Manhattan, is a "spring tradition in New York" and a "fixture on the Manhattan charity circuit. At the 1997 and 2006 events, the Empire State Building was lighted green on the night of the concert.
The concert funds projects that benefit the indigenous peoples of the world's rainforests. The Rainforest Foundation Fund supports projects by three independent national organizations: Rainforest Foundation Norway, Rainforest Foundation US, and Rainforest Foundation UK.
Kayapo chief Raoni delivered a ten-minute speech in his native language at the first concert, which was subsequently translated into English for the audience.
Yahoo!, one of the pioneering internet companies of the 1990s, launched its initial public offering (IPO) on the NASDAQ stock exchange, selling 2.6 million shares at $13 per share. This event marked a significant milestone in the early days of the commercial internet, signalling the growing economic potential of digital technologies.