Ambassadors of the airwaves Aug 21, 2021

Ambassadors of the airwaves

Today we"re visiting the Petit Minou Lighthouse on the coast of northwest France to mark the relationship between lighthouses and the 20th-century technology of amateur radio, commonly known as "ham" radio. The International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend (ILLW) is an event set up every August by a group of amateur radio operators from nearly 100 countries. Activities for this ILLW weekend are organized online with individual events held at various lighthouses around the world, where ham radio operators gather to broadcast and engage with fellow enthusiasts. The aim of these gatherings is to not only foster goodwill for ham radio around the world, but also to promote awareness of lighthouse preservation and restoration, and to honor the legacy these solitary structures have had on our collective maritime heritage.

© Mathieu Rivrin/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Aug 21, 2018Ingenuity in action on the Santa Monica Pier
Aug 21, 2019Look before you leap
Aug 21, 2020Lobster tales
Aug 21, 2022International Lighthouse Weekend
Aug 21, 2023Discovery Day in Yukon, Canada
Aug 21, 2024Nazca boobies, Wolf Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Aug 21, 2025A wheatear in Peak District National Park, England

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 8, 2021Petrified Forest National Park
Dec 2, 2022Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act marks 42 years
Apr 18, 2019Stop and see the flowers
Oct 15, 2019The globe skimmers return
Apr 23, 2023World Book Day
Dec 20, 2025Christmas star lanterns, Germany
Oct 25, 2018A silent witness to history
Sep 1, 2022Wildlife crossing, Wierden, Netherlands
May 7, 2022Astronomy Day
Feb 6, 2018Maritime forest on Cumberland Island, Georgia
Feb 13, 2021Four little birds sitting in a tree…
Feb 23, 2020An icy extravaganza
Sep 9, 2025A Eurasian red squirrel in Switzerland
Jul 23, 2019A state-of-the-art lookout on the Rock of Gibraltar
Nov 24, 2023Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington
Oct 21, 2018Welcome to El Cervantino
Jan 3, 2021An Alpine fairy-tale castle
Jul 14, 2024La Geria wine region, Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Apr 27, 2018National Park Week: Yosemite National Park, California
Jul 23, 2021Let the games (finally) begin!
Jun 9, 2024Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park, Spain
Apr 9, 2020Hooray, hooray, it s Unicorn Day!
Jun 26, 2018Celebrating Madagascar on its Independence Day
Dec 21, 2019Seventeen arches at sunset
Feb 1, 2023Black History Month
Nov 12, 2021Beavers Bend
Nov 12, 2023Diwali
Oct 16, 2020It s harvest time on World Food Day
Nov 21, 2024Lion cubs, South Africa
Feb 27, 2021A snuggling ball of cute