The story of the Ferris wheel, first invented for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, is a prime example of human ingenuity in urban environments, which happened to be the theme of our most recent photo contest. Congrats to contest winner Chris Fabregas, who captured this shot of human ingenuity in action on the Santa Monica Pier in California. Santa Monica debuted its Ferris wheel here in 1996 and then adapted it two years later to make it the world’s first solar-powered Ferris wheel, using clean energy for the ride that propelled about 800 passengers an hour. In 2014 it was replaced with a newer version that sports 174,000 LED lights, providing for glittering nighttime scenes just like this.
Ingenuity in action on the Santa Monica Pier
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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National Bison Day
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Craters of the Moon centennial
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1.1 billion opportunities for a better world
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Spotted eagle rays in the Galápagos Islands
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World Rivers Day
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Killer whales in Spildra, Norway
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Palouse farmland, Washington state
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Edinburgh Festival Fringe
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It’s Endangered Species Day
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Merry Christmas
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World Water Day
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Château de Sully-sur-Loire, Center-Val de Loire, France
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Of moles and liquid nitrogen
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A most sincere pumpkin patch
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Is there a bug-egg emoji for this?
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A path lain with petals
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Old Fortress, Corfu, Greece
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There’s a dog in there somewhere
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Native American Heritage Day
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Petroglyphs near Fruita in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
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Central Highlands of Vietnam
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Great Backyard Bird Count
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It s a ruff life
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Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
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A day to celebrate teachers
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Ancient town of Sorano, Tuscany, Italy
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Shakespeare Day
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Cedar Mesa, Utah, for Indigenous Peoples Day
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Celebrating World Water Day
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Labor Day
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

