Imagine a flower sparking a financial frenzy. Sounds unlikely, right? Yet in the 1630s, tulips did exactly that in the Netherlands. During tulip mania, rare bulbs became luxury items traded for astonishing sums—some valued at prices comparable to a house. Why so valuable? Unusual colors and striped patterns were scarce and unpredictable, and collectors wanted the rarest varieties they could find.
Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, Netherlands
Today in History
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Shark Fin Cove, California
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First day of National Park Week
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Rock River Falls, Upper Peninsula, Michigan
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Astrotourism at its finest
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Heri es-Swani in Meknes, Morocco
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Earth at Perihelion
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Nazaré Lighthouse
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Flamenco dancers
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Don t forget—it’s World Elephant Day
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Happy St. Patricks Day!
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African bush elephants in Namibia
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Barn swallows of different subspecies resting together
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Manatee Awareness Month
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White Sands National Park, New Mexico
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A monster view in Scotland
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Flag Day
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Once upon a midafternoon dreary…
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International Day of Peace
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World Elephant Day
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2026 Winter Olympics
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Cecropia leaf and lobster claw petals in Mexico
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A dreamy start to the Year of the Pig
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In praise of bogs, swamps, and marshes
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It s superb owl Sunday
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A leafy seadragon in the waters off Wool Bay, Australia
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Happy Mothers Day!
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Impala in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
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Cappadocia, Türkiye
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Asteroid Day
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Leap day
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

