Today"s image features one of the simplest yet most essential inventions in human history: the umbrella, or parasol. Over 4,000 years ago, in ancient Egypt, Assyria and China, these foldable canopies were first used to shield people from the sun. It wasn"t until the 17th century that the umbrella, as we know it today, gained popularity in Europe, initially as a luxury item primarily for women. Fast-forward a few centuries, and these weather shields have become a staple in pop culture, too. Remember Mary Poppins with her iconic umbrella that helped her fly, or Rihanna"s hit song "Umbrella"?
Art Installation of umbrellas, London, United Kingdom
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Plains zebra foal in Etosha National Park, Namibia
-
Gadisar Lake, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
-
Tolkien Reading Day
-
Where are these magnificent cliffs?
-
Grizzly bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, United States
-
Everglades National Park, Florida, United States
-
A beautiful labyrinth
-
Crescent-tail bigeye fish, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
-
Cable car station on Piz Nair mountain, Graubünden, Switzerland
-
Dam, lake and mountains in Kerala
-
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
-
Eurasian red squirrel
-
Mid-Autumn Festival
-
What’s blooming so brightly?
-
Sea lion in a kelp forest, Baja California, Mexico
-
World Water Day
-
International Leopard Day
-
Christmas market in Leipzig, Germany
-
Colosseum, Rome, Italy
-
Blueberries growing in the wild
-
Martimoaapa Mire Reserve, Finland
-
Molokini crater, Maui, Hawaii, USA
-
Dragons Eye, Uttakleiv Beach, Norway
-
Mylopotamos, Thessaly, Greece
-
Vineyards above the Moselle River, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
-
Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon, United States
-
Fortress of Palamidi, Nafplio, Greece
-
SantaPark, Lapland, Finland
-
Positively purple peaks
-
A grand view
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

