With these dramatic clouds, the shardlike pinnacles of the Aiguille du Midi (Needle of Midday) resemble the spires of a ruined Alpine cathedral. This is just one of the many spectacular peaks of the Mont Blanc massif, the storied Alps range in eastern France that stretches across the border into Italy and Switzerland. It was here in France"s Chamonix valley that mountaineering became a sport in the mid-1700s. This dramatic peak was first summited in 1818, a feat that helped to popularize mountain climbing throughout Europe.
Atop the Needle of Chamonix
Today in History
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Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act marks 42 years
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Summer solstice
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Patriot Day
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Who doesn’t love a ‘Puppy’?
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Village of Oia in Santorini, Greece
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Let s get lost
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International Surfing Day
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Life in the slow lane
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Celebrating Pi Day
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A cliff-hanging complex of temples
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Celebrating Flag Day: ‘O long may it wave’
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Seville, Spain
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Last stop before leaving the solar system
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A stunning national park in winter white
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Let’s go foraging
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Lion cubs, South Africa
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Sweet! It’s maple syrup season
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It s harvest time on World Food Day
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An old celebration for a new season
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Frost on autumn leaves
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Jan van Eyckplein in Bruges, Belgium
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Strolling across the Red Lagoon
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World Water Day
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Entoloma hochstetteri mushroom at Lake Mahinapua, New Zealand
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Shark Awareness Day
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National Go Birding Day
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Hitsujiyama Park, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
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