Balloon Ascension Day Jan 9, 2024

Balloon Ascension Day

Up, up, and away! Today is Balloon Ascension Day, celebrating the anniversary of the first manned balloon flight in North America. French aeronaut Jean-Pierre Blanchard"s flight took him from Philadelphia to Deptford, New Jersey, back in 1793. Interest in ballooning took off from there and today, hot air balloon festivals take place across the country, including Albuquerque, where today"s sunrise image was taken. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people attend the nine-day Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta—the largest hot air balloon festival in the world—to see skilled pilots expertly maneuver their baskets through balloon-filled skies.

© Jennifer MacCornack/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Jan 9, 2018Great Fountain Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Jan 9, 2019What, no escalator?
Jan 9, 2020Into the woods
Jan 9, 2021The stylish Spanish shawl
Jan 9, 2022Rice processing in Bangladesh
Jan 9, 2023Wind Cave National Park celebrates 120 years
Jan 9, 2025Remembering Jimmy Carter
Jan 9, 2026Muir Woods National Monument anniversary

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug 22, 2021A wild, craggy corner of the United States
Mar 31, 2023Steyr River, Austria
May 29, 2018The first ascent
Mar 26, 2019The forecast calls for blooms
Sep 16, 2021A cry for independence
Jul 26, 2020A path to access
Jul 12, 2025Thomsons gazelles, Maasai Mara, Kenya
Jul 16, 2018Instant romance
Jul 14, 2023Shark Awareness Day
Sep 1, 2021It s National Mushroom Month!
Dec 25, 2022Merry Christmas!
Feb 6, 2024Bonsai Rock, Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Nov 19, 2020That bill s just not going to fit
Jan 15, 2024Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Apr 9, 2019The glowing waters of the Matsu Islands
Dec 24, 2024Silent night, sparkling lights, and hearts full of joy
Oct 22, 2021Jasper Dark Sky Festival
Jul 6, 2019Racers pushing past sunflowers in the 2018 Tour de France
May 4, 2022Star Wars Day
May 16, 2024International Day of Light
May 7, 2025Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Sep 13, 2024Point Reyes National Seashore, California
Oct 11, 2022Tortula moss, Netherlands
Jan 3, 2026J.R.R. Tolkien Day
Apr 30, 2018Swinging into International Jazz Day
Dec 5, 2021Salzburg, Austria
Mar 30, 2020Spread some love with Bing
Apr 2, 2025Sandstone formations in the badlands near Caineville, Utah
Mar 12, 2025Château de Sully-sur-Loire, Center-Val de Loire, France
Jan 2, 2019Tesla, the visionary