As twilight turns to night, the city of Paris lights up. Streets and buildings are bathed in light, alongside grand monuments such as the Hôtel National des Invalides, whose famous dome shines out in our homepage image. It was built during the 17th century under Louis XIV, as a hospital and home for army veterans. It was also Louis XIV, known as the Sun King, who ordered streetlights to be erected throughout the city to light up dark alleys where lawbreakers might lurk. Parisians were also asked to put up lanterns and oil lamps, and place lit candles in their windows.
The lights of Paris
Today in History
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Celebrating a young girl s age-old discovery
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A sleeping green giant
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Fresh water on the Silk Road
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A dreamy start to the Year of the Pig
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A perfect day to fly your flag
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Earthrise on Moon Day
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Space-age style by the sea
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International Day of Mangrove Conservation
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Happy Easter!
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Canada Day
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Sydney Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia
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Welcome to Scotland s garden
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This grizzly has Napping Day down
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A tale of almonds and bees
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In celebration of cats
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Angkor, Cambodia
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It’s surströmming time
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A leafy seadragon in the waters off Wool Bay, Australia
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To Sua Ocean Trench
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Big-wave hunters watch Nazaré
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Goliath heron in Kruger National Park, South Africa
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Methow Valley, North Cascades, Washington
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Tambopata National Reserve, Peru
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50 years of the Endangered Species Act
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A tree amid the Tetons
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The buzz about bees
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Trevi in bloom
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A state-of-the-art lookout on the Rock of Gibraltar
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A cliff-hanging complex of temples
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The Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve in Siberia, Russia