Penguin Awareness Day Jan. 20, 2026

Penguins thrive in some of Earth"s coldest waters. Today"s image shows a gentoo penguin beneath a vault of shimmering blue ice, its sharp silhouette etched against the frozen world around it. Penguin Awareness Day, observed on January 20, shines a spotlight on the birds that bring life, noise and personality to Earth"s iciest coastlines.

© Paul Souders/DanitaDelimont.com/Alamy

palette

Today in History

Come on, guys, this way!
Jan. 20, 2024Macaroni penguins, Drake Passage, Chile

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Where is this scenic view?
Apr. 24, 2024The white trilliums in Ontario, Canada
Jan. 4, 2026Kings Mountain, Chugach Mountains, Alaska, United States
Swinging over Munich
Jun. 30, 2025Asteroid Day
Jun. 3, 2025World Bicycle Day
Apr. 20, 2026Buckets on maple trees collecting sap for maple syrup
Oct. 14, 2024Fishing boats at Coco Beach in Goa, India
Dec. 16, 2025Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market
Jan. 5, 2024International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, Harbin, China
Feb. 16, 2024Great Backyard Bird Count
Season of light in the City of Light
Sep. 13, 2024Point Reyes National Seashore, California, USA
A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Jul. 10, 2024Collared aracari
Jul. 27, 2025Barracudas at Shark Reef, Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
Jun. 17, 2025Maritime forest in Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, United States
Sep. 11, 2025Monfragüe National Park, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain
The ‘eighth wonder?’
A day for cousins of every stripe
Sep. 18, 2024Gujō Hachiman Castle, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
Apr. 17, 2024Black bear cub emerges into spring
Oct. 8, 2024World Octopus Day
Jul 14, 2026Shark Awareness Day
Oct. 3, 2025Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye, Scotland
A sea of humanity
Jun. 10, 2025Everglades National Park, Florida, United States
Oct. 21, 2023International Archaeology Day
Man-made, meandering Lake Powell
Nov. 12, 2023Diwali