Happy National Lighthouse Day! A beacon, a warning, and a symbol of hope and home, lighthouses have existed for thousands of years. The earliest known was the Pharos of Alexandria, which stood an estimated 330 feet tall. Built by the ancient Egyptians in the 3rd century BCE, an open fire was lit at its highest part to guide ships into port. Illumination technology advanced over the centuries, culminating in today"s electric versions beaming light that can be seen from over 20 miles away. North Carolina"s Bodie Island Lighthouse, pictured here, was built in 1872 and overlooks a section of ocean once known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Since then, it"s been doing its best to outshine the stars above, as it guides sailors home to safe harbor.
National Lighthouse Day
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
- 
					A light on National Hispanic Heritage Month
- 
					Going with the floe
- 
					World Lizard Day
- 
					Great wildebeest migration at Mara River, Kenya
- 
					Water colors
- 
					World Lake Day in the Faroe Islands
- 
					Notes from an underground lake
- 
					World Lizard Day
- 
					Salmon migration in full swing
- 
					National Blueberry Day
- 
					A palace for the public
- 
					Surfer s paradise
- 
					Why’s it called a spelling ‘bee,’ anyhow?
- 
					What s going on in this sky?
- 
					All is silent for Big Ben’s musical milestone
- 
					Seceda, Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy
- 
					National Napping Day
- 
					World Rainforest Day
- 
					Paleontology meets art
- 
					A shell of many colors
- 
					Naxos in the Cyclades Islands of Greece
- 
					National Aviation Day
- 
					Blue linckia sea stars in Papua New Guinea
- 
					Happy Father s Day
- 
					In memory of those lost
- 
					A wassailing we go
- 
					Red deer stag in Glen Affric, Scottish Highlands
- 
					Lei Day in Hawaii
- 
					Puma in Patagonia
- 
					Time to count some birds
 Bing Wallpaper Gallery
Bing Wallpaper Gallery 
	
