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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Breckenridge, Colorado
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A perfect day to fly your flag
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Grand Canyon National Park turns 105
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International Museum Day
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Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia
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Westerheversand Lighthouse
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Waiting for the perfect shot
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May we have this dance?
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Thorrablot: The Icelandic midwinter festival
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The Christmas Bird Count begins
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Terraced fields of green
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National Moth Week
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Endangered Species Act
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An old celebration for a new season
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Once upon a time there was a bridge…
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What, no escalator?
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Class, please take out a No. 2 pencil…
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Happy Halloween!
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The Guggenheim Bilbao turns 25
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Glastonbury Festival begins
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Brocken spectre in Central Balkan National Park, Bulgaria
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Whales in winter
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Surf s always up in Paia
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Coral Reef Awareness Week
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

