Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, Netherlands Apr 30, 2026

Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, Netherlands

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 colours and striped patterns were scarce and unpredictable, and collectors wanted the rarest varieties they could find.

© Martin Ruegner/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

A feel of an era bygone
Get in tune with International Jazz Day
Apr 30, 2024Cheetah in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
Apr 30, 2025International Jazz Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

The ancient ruins of Nalanda
Mar 14, 2025Lathmar Holi
Dec 6, 2023Palolem beach, Goa, India
Oct 26, 2025Thick-billed raven, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia
Jun 4, 2025Cala Luna beach, Sardinia, Italy
Purple bliss as far as the eye can see
Nov 1, 2024Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil
Oct 20, 2025Hoffmanns two-toed sloth, Ecuador
Where are these spectacular peaks?
Oct 11, 2024Wood duck, Quebec, Canada
Feb 11, 2025Yungang Grottoes, Datong, China
Mar 19, 2025A black heron canopy hunting in Botswana
May 2, 2025Striated heron on a Victoria water lily, Pantanal, Brazil
A place where Buddha attained enlightenment
A life-sized snow globe
Jan 23, 2024Maldives
Aug 29, 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
A day for giving
A beacon in the golden light
Mar 21, 2026International Day of Forests
Jan 13, 2025Happy Welsh New Year!
Himalaya mountain range
Centuries of time in a Delicate Arch
Oct 19, 2024Temple of Hathor, Dendera Temple Complex, Qena, Egypt
Switzerland of India
Jan 2, 2025Ardez village, Graubunden, Switzerland
Sep 22, 2025Autumn equinox
Fourth rock from the sun
Oct 17, 2024Kochia, Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Oct 7, 2023Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park, Alaska