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Jun 15, 2024International Surfing Day

Today, everybody"s hitting the waves for International Surfing Day! This event is about celebrating surfing while also drawing attention to the importance of protecting ocean environments to keep their waters pristine for wildlife and surfers alike. Surfing has a long history; around 5,000 years ago in Peru, people used reed watercraft to surf the waves when they were out fishing. It was in pre-colonial Hawaii, however, that modern surfing was born. Here, people started to stand on their boards and to surf for fun. Historians believe that surfing made its way to the US in 1885, when three teenage Hawaiian princes surfed on redwood boards while on a break from boarding school in California.Desktop Version

Oct 19, 2024International Archaeology Day

Today, dig deep and unearth your inner Indiana Jones or Lara Croft on International Archaeology Day. The event celebrates archaeology"s benefits for society, and includes exhibits and hands-on excavations, some of which run throughout the month. Many US national and state parks, historic landmarks, and local museums also hold events.Desktop Version

Mar 16, 2025Happy Panda Day!

Let"s celebrate one of nature"s fluffiest treasures: the giant panda. Native to China, these iconic black-and-white bears are more than just adorable. They play a crucial role in their bamboo forest ecosystem by dispersing seeds and fostering new vegetation growth, which benefits countless plants and animals.Desktop Version

Mar 22, 2025World Water Day

March 22 is World Water Day, a United Nations initiative highlighting the importance of fresh water and its conservation. This day raises awareness about the global water crisis and promotes actions to ensure clean water for all. Fresh water is vital—not just for drinking, but for ecosystems, agriculture, and cultural heritage.Desktop Version

Mar 14, 2025Celebrating Pi Day

Calculating the ratio of a circle"s circumference to its diameter is as easy as pi. Today is Pi Day, an event that celebrates this mathematical constant. This date was chosen because 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant figures of pi (π) when it is written out. Pi is an irrational number, which means that it can"t be written as a fraction. When written out, its decimal representation goes on infinitely without repeating. The oldest attempts to calculate pi date back to ancient Babylon and Egypt, around 1900 BCE.Desktop Version

Jul 27, 2024Vineyards in the Mosel Valley, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Welcome to the Palatinate, a wine lover"s dream come true. This wine-growing region in western Germany has rolling hills, fertile soils, and a warm climate, allowing the cultivation of a diverse variety of grapes. While riesling reigns supreme, other notable varieties include chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot blanc, Müller-Thurgau, and Dornfelder. The Palatinate is the largest red wine-producing region in the country, with over 40% of the vineyards devoted to it.Desktop Version

Feb 16, 2025Happy World Whale Day!

On the third Sunday of February, World Whale Day highlights the beauty of whales and the challenges they face. This year, on February 16, we honor these majestic creatures, like the humpback whale pictured in today"s image, known for its enchanting songs and dramatic breaches. World Whale Day began in 1980 in Maui, Hawaii, led by Greg Kauffman of the Pacific Whale Foundation, to protect humpbacks from extinction. Today, it urges global action on threats like ocean pollution, climate change, and habitat loss.Desktop Version

Apr 26, 2024Arbor Day

The first Arbor Day in the US was held in 1872. Since then, the event has really taken root. On the last Friday of April, people across the country mark the occasion by planting trees, often dedicating them to a loved one. It"s also a great day to celebrate trees themselves. As well as providing homes for countless species of animals, trees absorb carbon dioxide and clean the air we breathe. They also help to keep cities cooler and can even play a role in preventing floods.Desktop Version

Oct 11, 2023National Fossil Day

For National Fossil Day, we"re looking at the mesmerizing Painted Hills, found in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon. Those stripes of red, tan, orange, and black were formed over tens of millions of years, the different layers in the claystone hills reflecting changes in the climate over that period. The monument itself is divided into three units, Painted Hills, Clarno, and Sheep Rock. In the latter, you"ll find the Thomas Condon Visitor Center with a paleontology lab and a museum displaying hundreds of fossils. In the fossil beds, the remains of more than 100 species of mammals have been found, including saber-toothed tigers, turtles, and opossums, as well as many fossilized plant species. While the landscape might sometimes look otherworldly, it offers us a peek into Earth"s dynamic and fascinating history.Desktop Version

Mar 4, 2025Happy Fat Tuesday!

Mardi Gras, or "Fat Tuesday," is a vibrant tradition that marks the last day of indulgence before the Christian season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Rooted in ancient Roman celebrations like Saturnalia, Mardi Gras evolved as Christianity spread, blending local customs—most notably Carnival festivities—with religious observances. The name itself originates from French, with the word gras meaning "fat," referring to rich, fatty foods like meat, eggs, and cheese that are traditionally enjoyed before the fasting season begins.Desktop Version

Mar 24, 2025African bush elephants in Namibia

Desert elephants, found in Namibia and Mali, are African bush elephants that have adapted to the harsh conditions of the Namib and Sahara deserts. These extremely arid regions receive less than 2.75 inches of annual rainfall. Compared to other bush elephants, desert elephants have longer legs, broader feet, and slightly smaller bodies. These resilient herbivores migrate between waterholes, following ancient routes based on seasonal food and water availability. Male desert elephants often roam alone over vast areas, while female-led family groups stay near rivers, where food is more plentiful. Their incredible adaptability is showcased by their ability to travel long distances, sometimes 43 miles in a single night, to find their favorite myrrh bushes.Desktop Version

Jul 10, 2024Collared aracari in Costa Rica

Black and yellow plumage, bright eyes, and an oversized bill—meet the collared aracari, a fascinating tropical bird. Gracing the forests from Mexico through Costa Rica, where today"s image was taken, to Colombia and Venezuela, this toucan gets its name from the red marking on the back of the neck. These birds circle through the air in groups of up to 15, and at night, snuggle together in tree cavities. Their song is as unique as their look—a high squeaky note that sounds like "seek," sometimes a "purr" or even a raspy "grhhrr." Although deforestation and hunting pose threats to these birds, they are not endangered. For now, collared aracaris remain a captivating sight, a splash of color, and a burst of life amid the sprawling branches.Desktop Version

Mar 28, 2025Black-naped monarch

Watch closely; you might catch a glimpse of the black-naped monarch. This bird is part of the monarch flycatcher family, which also includes shrikebills, magpie-larks, and paradise flycatchers. Found across tropical southern Asia, from Iran and Sri Lanka to Indonesia and the Philippines, the black-naped monarch prefers dense forests and other lush, wooded spots. It perches upright on its short legs and spends most of its time catching insects in midair. These birds occupy the dense understory of the forest canopy.Desktop Version

Mar 17, 2025Happy St. Patricks Day!

St. Patrick"s Day, celebrated on March 17, honors Ireland"s patron saint and national apostle, Saint Patrick—a fifth-century missionary. A national holiday in Ireland, the festivity is marked by a range of cultural events, parades, and traditional music and dance enjoyed across the globe. Interestingly, the first St. Patrick"s Day parade wasn"t held in Ireland but in the US. The earliest celebration was organized by Irish vicar Ricardo Artur in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1601.Desktop Version

Nov 11, 2024Veterans Day

Freedom is not free, and nobody understands that better than veterans. Today, America honors its military men and women for their service. The holiday originally celebrated a temporary halt in fighting between Allied nations and Germany during World War I—the official end of the war came the following year in 1919. Armistice Day, as it was later named, commemorated this respite, and it became a federal holiday in 1938. A few years later, America fought in World War II, and later, the Korean War. As a result, Congress amended the holiday in 1954, exchanging the word "Armistice" with "Veterans" to include veterans of all the country"s wars.Desktop Version

Oct 9, 2023Indigenous Peoples Day

Our homepage today celebrates Indigenous Peoples" Day. In the US, the second Monday in October is dedicated to the enduring cultures that have shaped the nation. Among them are the Fremont people, who lived in and around what is now Utah, for more than 1,000 years up to 1300 CE. This broad group of communities left a lasting mark on their region with their distinctive petroglyphs, a form of ancient art chipped or carved into rock. Today, many Americans participate in Indigenous Day celebrations such as art exhibitions, traditional music, and storytelling. Locations such as Dinosaur National Monument, Fremont Indian State Park, and McKee Spring provide insights into the history of this ancient culture that lived here for centuries.Desktop Version

Aug 12, 2024World Elephant Day

Get ready to celebrate elephants, the largest living land animals. There are three elephant species alive today: African bush, African forest, and Asian. All three species are endangered, and World Elephant Day is dedicated to highlighting the challenges they face, like the ivory trade and habitat loss.Desktop Version

Apr 22, 2024Earth Day

Today is Earth Day—a day dedicated to celebrating the planet we call home and raising awareness of environmental problems. The seeds of this day were planted back in 1969 when Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin witnessed events like the Cuyahoga River catching fire and the Santa Barbara oil spill and decided that the world needed an environmental initiative. A year later, the first Earth Day event was held. Now, it has grown into an annual event with more than a billion people in over 193 countries taking part.Desktop Version

Sep 10, 2023Grandparents Day

Have you called your nana, abuela, pop-pop or lolo lately? No matter what you call them, there"s no better time to pick up the phone than Grandparents" Day, held on the Sunday after Labor Day. Grandparents play a special role in our lives, helping to raise new generations, passing down family history and sharing the wisdom of their experience. Wisdom is not always indicated by a thick Wilford-Brimley-esque mustache, but whiskers do lend a certain esteemed quality. Perhaps that"s why these Atlantic walruses look like they"re about to tell you why they voted for Hubert Humphrey.Desktop Version

Feb 18, 2025The Great Blue Hole, Belize

The Great Blue Hole, found near the center of Lighthouse Reef off the coast of Belize, is one of nature"s most incredible creations. The massive marine sinkhole, 1,043 feet across and 407 feet deep, was formed during the last ice age when a limestone cave system collapsed and rising sea levels flooded the area, leaving behind a striking natural wonder.Desktop Version

Oct 8, 2023World Octopus Day

What exactly are we looking at here? The veined octopus, also known as the coconut octopus, is one of the smartest animals on Earth, building shelters from seashells and coconut shells. If you peek inside, you may spot those telltale suction cups that cover the creature"s eight limbs. These arms contain clusters of neurons, which make them particularly sensitive, and each arm can be used separately to perform complex tasks. Octopuses can also match the color—sometimes even the texture—of their environment, making them even more difficult to spot. There"s lots more to learn about these fascinating animals, and World Octopus Day is a great day to do it. You could always start with the Academy Award-winning documentary "My Octopus Teacher."Desktop Version

Apr 21, 2025International Dark Sky Week

Imagine standing under a sky so dark that the Milky Way stretches across it like a luminous ribbon. This is the experience that International Dark Sky Week aims to bring back. Every April, during the week of the new moon (this year from April 21 to 27), we are invited to turn off our lights and gaze at the stars. The event was initiated by Jennifer Barlow, a high school student in 2003, to combat light pollution. One of the best places to experience the night sky"s beauty is Joshua Tree National Park in southeastern California, an International Dark Sky Park. Here, the absence of artificial light allows visitors to see the stars as our ancestors once did. Did you know that light pollution prevents us from seeing most of the stars in the Milky Way? By reducing it, we can reconnect with the universe"s beauty and wonder.Desktop Version

Oct 13, 2024Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain

Today we"re stepping into the heart of the historic empire of Islamic Spain. The Royal Alcázar of Seville, in the southern region of Andalusia, stands on the site of a 10th-century citadel, which was expanded over the following 200 years. When Christian forces captured the city in 1248, this historic palace was almost totally rebuilt in the Mudejar style, which takes inspiration from the intricate patterns and decorative motifs found in Islamic architecture. Within the Alcázar, there are several courtyards lined with delicately carved columns. One of these is the Patio de las Doncellas, or Courtyard of the Maidens, pictured here today.Desktop Version

Apr 30, 2024Cheetah in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania

Blink and you"ll miss it! The fastest mammal in the world, the cheetah, is one of Tanzania"s iconic big cats. Pictured here in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, cheetahs inhabit diverse landscapes from the Serengeti grasslands to the arid expanses of the Sahara. They have long tails, elongated legs, and a slender build that helps them move quickly.Desktop Version

Mar 5, 2025Khao Sok National Park in Thailand

Today we"re in a wildlife-packed wonderland with rainforests older than the Amazon—Khao Sok National Park in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand. Established in 1980, the park is home to diverse wildlife, including the Malayan tapir, white-handed gibbon, gaur, and hornbill, making it an ideal destination for anyone ready to swap city noise for jungle sounds. There are trails to tackle, kayaks to paddle, and, if you"re fortunate, you might even catch a glimpse of the massive (and stinky) Rafflesia flower when it"s in bloom.Desktop Version

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