World Heritage Day Apr 18, 2026

Today, on World Heritage Day, attention turns to places that tell humanity"s shared story—protected for their exceptional cultural or natural value. One of them rises from volcanic stone on Easter Island, Chile. At Rano Raraku, the slopes of an extinct volcano became the workshop where nearly all of the island"s famous moai were carved. The image captures this remarkable quarry, where half-finished figures emerge from the rock, frozen mid-creation.

© Gavin Hellier/Alamy

palette

Today in History

A mountaintop cultural wonder
Apr 18, 2024International Day for Monuments and Sites
Apr 18, 2025International Day for Monuments and Sites

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 7, 2025Northern gannets, Shetland Islands, Scotland
Dec 9, 2025Guanaco, Punta Norte, Valdés Peninsula, Argentina
May 27, 2025Mona Vale rockpool, Sydney, Australia
A herald of summer
Sep 29, 2023Sangameswara Temple, Andhra Pradesh
‘Spotting’ deer in the wild
Aug 30, 2023Celebrating sibling bonds
May 30, 2025Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, United States
Jan 28, 2026Whanganui National Park, Retaruke, New Zealand
Aug 5, 2024Lavender field, Hertfordshire, England
Gateway to Iberia
Jul 14, 2025Shark Awareness Day
Jan 10, 2026The Matterhorn reflected in Lake Stellisee at sunrise, Zermatt, Switzerland
The harmony between land and sun
Nov 17, 2024Red deer stag in Glen Affric, Scotland
Apr 30, 2024Cheetah in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
Aug 10, 2024Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA
Oct 5, 2024African elephants in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya
Sep 10, 2025Hay bales in North Yorkshire, England
The ancient ruins of Nalanda
Staying in the loop
Aug 18, 2025Avalanche Lake Trail at Adirondack High Peaks, New York, United States
A triumphant pose
Feb 26, 2025Maha Shivaratri
Sep 23, 2025Keel-billed toucan, Costa Rica
May 5, 2025Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
May 28, 2024The Monastery of Roussanou, Greece
Big rocks, big heads
May 5, 2024Kerala
Mar 30, 2026Demoiselle cranes, India