Bing Images Archive - Bing Wallpaper Gallery

BIng Images 2022/05

2022-05-01AAPI Heritage Month & Lei Day

May 1 means different things in different parts of the world, but here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it means Lei Day, a statewide celebration of Hawaiian culture and the spirit of "aloha," that intangible sense of warmth, belonging, and connection that emanates from this isolated chain of volcanic islands. Lei Day was first celebrated in 1927 and made an official holiday in 1929. It also happens to fall on the first day of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which honors Americans of Asian, Melanesian, Micronesian, and Polynesian heritage. May is the month the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the US in 1843, and the month the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869 by, mostly, Chinese immigrants.
2022-05-02Pamukkale, Turkey

The stunning travertine terraces and hot pools of Pamukkale, Turkey, have dazzled visitors since at least the end of the 2nd century BCE, with the founding of the Greco-Roman thermal spa of Hierapolis. Since then, people have enjoyed a relaxing soak in the 97-degree Fahrenheit water, claiming curative powers for many ailments.
2022-05-03Teacher Appreciation Day

This mandarin duck and her cute little charges seemed a fitting way to illustrate Teacher Appreciation Week, which peaks today on Teacher Appreciation Day. She is leading by example, safely guiding the next generation on their first forays into the world. Hopefully we appreciate the dedication and wisdom of our teachers year-round, but this special day is certainly a timely reminder. For the last two years educators have battled the staggering challenges of the COVID pandemic; rallying their students, whether online or distanced and masked in the classroom; and doing their best to give children a safe, nurturing environment for learning. Their commitment has helped build a strong foundation for young people"s future well-being and happiness, and it taught the value of community and resilience.
2022-05-04Star Wars Day

This otherworldly desert landscape in Jordan might look familiar to "Star Wars" fans, who today can"t be blamed for blessing each other with the tired pun, "May the Fourth be with you." That"s right, today is Star Wars Day, an annual celebration every May 4 of all things "Star Wars." Wadi Rum, aka Valley of the Moon, in southern Jordan, stood in for the moon Jedha in "Rogue One," and for the planet Pasaana in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." It is easy to see why this desolate landscape was chosen to mimic an alien world.
2022-05-05Cinco de Mayo

Many celebrations of Cinco de Mayo owe a debt to these rolling fields of blue agave, or agave azul, the source material required to make genuine tequila. The distilled spirit is to Mexico what Scotch whisky is to Scotland and sake to Japan. Tequila is also the base ingredient in the beloved margarita cocktail certain to be served in abundance today.
2022-05-06Bluebells in Hertfordshire, England

For just a few weeks every spring, across the pond in England and under the newly forming woodland canopy, one of the most enchanting flowers begins to bloom. The bluebell is known by many names but those who know it as the "fairy flower" might be the most prepared to withstand its strong, sweetly scented allure. According to British folklore, a blooming bluebell carpet on the woodland floor is a mystical place where fairies live. The legends hold that fairies hang their spells on the flowers to dry, and disturbing them would unleash the magic. In earlier times, children were warned that picking bluebells would cause them to be spirited away. Even adults could fall victim to the flower, being doomed to wander the woods and never escape. And heaven forbid you ever happen to hear the fairies ring the bluebells for their gatherings—it means your death is imminent, a belief that inspired another name for bluebells: "dead men"s bells."
2022-05-07Astronomy Day

In one of the darkest places on Earth there"s a cluster of telescopes that examine the heavens each night, sending detailed information about the celestial bodies they observe to astronomers across the planet. Far from any population centers or light pollution, the Atacama Desert is the world"s driest nonpolar desert. It"s the perfect place for La Silla Observatory, one of the largest observatories in the Southern Hemisphere, and the first to be used by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), a research organization made up of astronomers from 16 European nations. The first ESO telescope at the La Silla site in Chile began operating in 1966.
2022-05-08Mother s Day

Among mothers, few can claim as deep a bond with her baby as a koala mom. Because her pregnancy lasts only a month—likely making her the envy of other mammal mothers—her baby emerges into her embrace still in the embryonic stage, about the size of a jellybean. Mom will spend the next year carrying her baby, called a joey, either inside her pouch or on her back, a feat that makes her annual Mother"s Day card well-earned.
2022-05-09Göreme, Cappadocia, Turkey

Both natural wonders and historic landmarks, the "fairy chimneys" of Göreme may suggest the fantastical dwellings of an alien species, or an illustration from a Dr. Seuss book. These and similar rock formations are known by many names—hoodoos, tent rocks, earth pyramids, as well as fairy chimneys—and are typically found in dry, hot areas. Here in Cappadocia, in south-central Turkey, they were formed when a thick layer of volcanic ash solidified over millions of years into soft, porous rock called tuff that was overlaid by hard basalt. Cracks in the basalt allowed wind and rain to gradually wash away the softer bottom layer, leaving the hard basalt to cap tall columns of the tuff. The result is these unusual, often beautiful—and perhaps puzzling—formations that spread across the Anatolian plain.
2022-05-10Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Today we"re paying a visit to an "elder statesman" of the United States" national forests. Seen in today"s photo is Panther Creek Falls at Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington state. Officially, the forest was named in 1949 in honor of Pinchot, the first head of the US Forest Service. Located between Mount St. Helens to the west and Mount Adams to the east, the land was set aside as a place worth preserving as far back as 1897. But people had been living in the forest for more than 6,000 years. Archaeologists continue to make discoveries within the dense forest that teach us about the past lives of Native Americans.
2022-05-11Santorini, Greece

Officially known as Thira, Santorini is perhaps the most famous of all the Greek islands. Located at the southern end of the Aegean Sea, Santorini is part of the Cyclades group of islands and receives about 2 million visitors a year. That"s a lot of adoring attention for a small island (only 28 square miles) of 15,000 residents, and it"s no wonder why. The whitewashed, clifftop villages of Santorini, like Oia featured in this image, are postcard-perfect. And so are the unlimited panoramic views of the azure Mediterranean Sea.
2022-05-12International Nurses Day

While the uniform style has changed since these American Red Cross nurses proudly posed together in Paris, France, in 1919, the medical care and kindness provided by nurses the world over has remained steadfast. Today we"re celebrating International Nurses Day, which is observed on May 12 each year to turn a well-deserved spotlight on nurses and the contributions they make to society. The theme for 2022"s observance is "Nurses: A voice to lead—Invest in nursing and respect rights to secure global health." It"s a fitting topic, especially when nurses have borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. For more than two years, nurses have suffered from critical staffing shortages while facing a health crisis of tremendous proportions. For all that nurses have endured and for all they"ve contributed to our personal and collective well-being, we offer our heartfelt thanks.
2022-05-14Windmills in Kinderdijk, the Netherlands

This stretch of windmills is one of the best-known Dutch tourist sites—you probably recognize them from postcards and calendars. Both iconic and historic, the windmills in the village of Kinderdijk have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. The Netherlands has about 1,200 windmills, though only 300 or so are still operational. Over the years they"ve played a major role in pumping sea water away from the nation"s reclaimed land. Keeping the water at bay is a perennial issue for the flat Low Countries, where much of the ground is below sea level.
2022-05-15Lunar eclipse

If you"re lucky enough to find yourself under a cloudless sky tonight, you"ll be able to see one of our solar system"s great wonders, a full lunar eclipse, also known as a "blood moon." The spooky nickname derives from the reddish hue the moon takes on when Earth casts its shadow upon it. Featured here is a blood moon over the Swiss Alps. A full lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth and moon align perfectly with the sun, and the moon falls directly behind Earth"s shadow. When Earth falls behind the moon"s shadow, a solar eclipse occurs.