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Let s crack the code
Let s crack the code
If you"ve ever been the least bit curious about how computers work, this week is for you. December 9 marks the start of Computer Science Education Week, an annual program that uses the Hour of Code as one way to inspire K-12 students to take an interest in computer science and to level the playing field in an industry that can seem intimidating to some. The Hour of Code is exactly what it sounds like: Students and adults alike are invited to set aside 60 minutes to try out one of the many Hour of Code tutorials—offered in 45 languages—for a brief introduction to coding. Organizers believe every single student should have the opportunity to learn computer science, as it nurtures creativity and encourages problem solving. We concur. And we highly recommend the Minecraft tutorials as a starting place. Happy coding, friends!Desktop Version
Happy Father s Day
Happy Father s Day
These bald eagles look like they"re enjoying some family time on Father"s Day. But today is extra special for them, because it"s also American Eagle Day, a celebration that commemorates the date in 1782 when the bird was added to the Great Seal of the United States, effectively becoming a national symbol. With an olive branch in its right talons and a bundle of 13 arrows in its left (representing the 13 original states in the Union), the eagle is said to represent a strong desire for peace, but readiness for conflict. You"ll recognize the Great Seal of the United States from its appearance on passports, flags, official documents, and American currency.Desktop Version
A tribute to the ancestors
A tribute to the ancestors
To celebrate International Day of the World"s Indigenous Peoples, we"re on New Zealand"s North Island, looking at the Ngatoroirangi rock carving by Māori artist Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell in Mine Bay. This artwork is part of a larger collection of carvings on the edge of Lake Taupo and has become a big tourist attraction despite being accessible only by boat. Four years in the making, the work is a tribute to Māori ancestors and guardians, and the integral roles they play in the Indigenous Māori culture.Desktop Version
International Polar Bear Day
International Polar Bear Day
February 27 marks International Polar Bear Day—an effort to raise awareness of the enormous threats polar bears face due to climate change. Polar bears need Arctic pack ice to hunt on, but that ice is shrinking as the planet warms. While polar bears are excellent swimmers—so much so that they"re classified as marine mammals—the Arctic ice is still a crucial part of their survival. Let"s take this day to think about what we can do to help reduce climate change and protect polar bear habitats.Desktop Version
Black History Month
Black History Month
To mark the beginning of Black History Month, we"re paying tribute to one of the few all-Black combat regiments in World War I, true heroes who were instrumental in achieving the Allied victory. The storied 369th Infantry Regiment, famously known as the Harlem Hellfighters, served in frontline trenches for 191 days—longer than any other American unit in the war—and suffered 1,500 casualties, the most losses of any American regiment. They fought under the 16th Division of the French army, because many white Americans refused to go into combat alongside Black soldiers.Desktop Version
Bringing the moon to Earth
Bringing the moon to Earth
It was 50 years ago that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to feel an alien gravity tugging at them. By landing on the moon on July 20, 1969, a mere 66 years after the first powered flight by the Wright brothers, the two astronauts met the challenge set by John F. Kennedy seven years earlier to land men on the moon before the end of the decade.Desktop Version
Bobbio, Italy
Bobbio, Italy
Between the metropolis of Milan—the fashion and design capital of Italy—and the fabled seaport city of Genoa, you"ll find this small river town in northern Italy. People have resided here since ancient times, at least as far back as the Roman era, but the town really began to flourish when the abbey was constructed in the 7th century. For much of the Middle Ages, the Bobbio Abbey and its vast library made the town a center of religion, culture, and learning.Desktop Version
Time for brass bands and beer
Time for brass bands and beer
Our photo today shows the crowds at an Oktoberfest parade reflected in the bell of a brass horn. In Munich, Germany, the 16-day festival will include many brass bands marching and playing celebratory Bavarian folk music, while other bands will play for the beer drinkers in the tents and beer halls that dot the festival grounds. Why call it ‘Oktoberfest’ when it begins in September? The original Oktoberfest began on October 12, 1810, as a massive one-day royal wedding celebration open to the public. On October 12 the following year, Munich citizens commemorated the wedding with another party, and an annual tradition was born. The festivities grew longer and longer each year over the course of two centuries, and Oktoberfest eventually extended into the weeks before the original date. Organizers supported the earlier start to take advantage of better weather in late September, but the party will forever be known as Oktoberfest.Desktop Version
A path to access
A path to access
Here"s an example of cutting-edge form meeting practical function. This snakelike bridge, the brainchild of famed architect Frank Gehry, provides a meandering and safe path over a busy thoroughfare that separates Millennium Park and Maggie Daley Park in downtown Chicago. With a gentle 5% slope, the 935-foot bridge is accessible for people who use wheelchairs or have trouble navigating stairs, and that"s the main reason why we"re featuring it on our homepage today. Thirty years ago to the day, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans With Disabilities Act. This sweeping civil rights bill prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities at work, in school, and in public spaces. The resulting law meant that much of the country"s physical infrastructure, like this elegantly curving bridge, was required to accommodate people with disabilities.Desktop Version
An island in the Highlands
An island in the Highlands
Here in the Scottish Highlands, there"s something about the rugged environs of Glen Etive that has tickled the imaginations of both ancient and modern storytellers. A glen is a long, narrow valley and this one is especially beautiful. It has strange footnotes in both Irish and Scottish folklore. The name itself translates to "little fierce one" and was given in honor of Etive, the Gaelic goddess long associated with Loch Etive.Desktop Version
Let s celebrate cephalopods
Let s celebrate cephalopods
For World Octopus Day, we"re lighting up your screen with a shot of a nocturnal octopus from the genus Callistoctopus in its larval stage. It was photographed on a night dive near the Big Island of Hawaii. You may not consider octopuses cute and cuddly, but they have charisma to burn. The highly intelligent species has been observed solving puzzles, unscrewing lids, and even using tools. One study recorded octopuses collecting discarded coconut shells and carrying them back to their dens to use as shelter. In another incident that made headlines, an octopus named Otto taunted staff at his aquarium by repeatedly crawling out of his tank to shoot water at the overhead lights, causing them to short-circuit. Octopuses aren"t all brains—they"ve got heart as well (three, in fact!). The more we learn about this species, the more impressed we are. Can"t every day be World Octopus Day?Desktop Version
Saint Andrews Day
Saint Andrews Day
Scotland"s fantastical landscapes are steeped in folklore and myths. The Old Man of Storr—a 164-foot rocky pinnacle on the Isle of Skye—is no exception. So named because it is said to resemble a craggy man when viewed from the right angle, it has long inspired tales of giants and magic. The Old Man towers over the Trotternish Ridge, a 20-mile-long landslip that is home to many stunning and strange rock formations, each with their own stories.Desktop Version
Party like it’s 5779
Party like it’s 5779
Jewish people around the world are celebrating Rosh Hashanah today, which literally translates as "head of the year." It may be Sept 10, but it"s also the first day of the first month on the Jewish calendar, which is based on the lunar month as opposed to the solar month. So, why are we looking at honeycombs--real ones, not the cereal? To note the Rosh Hashanah custom of eating apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year. Happy 5779!Desktop Version
An uncommon look at an American icon
An uncommon look at an American icon
The tallest building in the world when it was completed in 1884, the Washington Monument was meant to capture the respect and gratitude American citizens have for our first president. The journey to build the obelisk was long and arduous, including a 23-year gap in the construction. According to Mark Twain, the incomplete monument looked like ‘a factory chimney with the top broken off.’ On this day in 1876 the Washington Monument was accepted into the National Park System, and today it’s one of the most recognizable buildings in the US.Desktop Version
It s fair season
It s fair season
If it"s summer, there"s a fair going on somewhere. Looking at this photo, you can practically smell the cotton candy, hear the sonic blend of rides, carnival games, and music, and taste the sugary fried food (and feel your arteries clogging). Smaller fairs like this one in Hardee County, Florida, lead up to larger state fairs in most areas. August is the most popular month for state fairs, though a handful are in July, and some southern states have them during cooler months. Fairs weren"t always about rides and outrageously fattening foods, though. Beginning with the first state fair in Syracuse, New York, back in 1841, and long before anyone figured out how to fry a stick of butter, there were celebrations of agriculture and livestock, and those traditions continue. So, when you hit your local fair, don"t forget to check out the giant vegetables and costumed llamas before you get in line for the tilt-a-whirl or a deep-fried Snickers wrapped in bacon.Desktop Version
Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships
Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships
Today is the opening day of the WISSA Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships, which take place this year in Lithuania. Iceboating, also known as ice sailing, began in 17th-century Europe. Travelers used vessels on blades to traverse the frozen Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea and the iced-over canals of the Netherlands. These days, the sport is enjoyed as a recreational and competitive activity using a variety of boats, boards, skates, and kites. The world championships, which fall under the broader umbrella of windsurfing competitions, have been held since 1980. Good luck to all those out there competing for fame and glory on the windswept ice!Desktop Version
Gamboa Crater, Mars
Gamboa Crater, Mars
It would be pretty tough to live on Mars. It"s cold, dry, and the conditions are harsh. The planet"s average temperature is about –81 degrees Fahrenheit, but it can get as low as –243 at the poles. But with many canyons, extinct volcanoes, and ice caps, it"s beautiful to look at from afar. Most photos of the red planet highlight its rusty color, caused by high levels of iron oxide.Desktop Version
Its Halfway Day!
Its Halfway Day!
Today is Halfway Day, which means we are halfway through 2023! Halfway Day begins at noon on July 2 during a regular 365-day year, and at midnight on July 2 during a leap year—so this year, we"re celebrating at lunchtime.Desktop Version
Dancing waters of Dubai
Dancing waters of Dubai
With the 2009 opening of the Dubai Fountain, featured in today"s image, the city of Dubai claimed another record for the books—"world"s tallest performing fountain.’ It"s located appropriately enough at the foot of the Burj Khalifa, currently the world"s tallest building. Designed by the same company that created the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, everything about the Dubai Fountain is impressive. Over 900 feet long and located in the 30-acre Burj Lake, the fountain has more than 6,600 lights and 75 color projectors. These are used to create over 1,000 different "water expressions" and provide a rainbow of colors, all perfectly choreographed to a carefully crafted musical playlist.Desktop Version
Where the bearded reedling sings
Where the bearded reedling sings
Feeling a hint of fall in the air? This bearded reedling could be, but a drop in temperature isn"t a signal for it to fly on to warmer destinations. These songbirds belong to a resident species, which means most stay put in the marshes, from England to eastern Asia, where they thrive. Their diet changes with the seasons: In the summer, they dine on reed aphids, while during the colder months, reed seeds sustain them. This guy—and we know he"s a male due the distinctive black "mustache" stretching down his face—is perching in the Elmley National Nature Reserve in Kent, one of the largest bird reserves in England.Desktop Version
Let’s go mothing
Let’s go mothing
In the Lepidoptera order of the animal kingdom, it’s butterflies who get all the glory. But we’d argue it’s their relatives, moths, that have the better story. With more than 160,000 species of moths around the world, moths outnumber butterfly species roughly 10 to 1. While most are nocturnal, the hummingbird hawk-moth on our homepage today breaks the mold. Found throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe, it’s shown here in the daylight of southern Sardinia, sipping nectar with its straw-like appendage known as a proboscis. Like a hummingbird, the moth makes a soft buzzing sound as it hovers over the flowers whose nectar it feeds on exclusively.Desktop Version
Illuminating Annecy
Illuminating Annecy
Who knew that an 800-year-old structure could look so festive? The pretty holiday illumination you see is adorning the side of the Palais de l"Ile, a distinctive 12th-century building in the town of Annecy, France, high in the French Alps. Designated a historic monument in 1900, the medieval structure is perched on a small islet in the Canal du Thiou.Desktop Version
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Today we"re in Hawaii to mark the 80th anniversary of the surprise attack on the US naval base in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The strike by Japan cost 2,403 service members and civilians their lives, injured 1,178 others, and thrust the US into WWII. The sailors you see here are standing on the deck of the USS Bowfin, a US Navy submarine that is now a memorial and museum moored in Pearl Harbor next to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.Desktop Version
Happy 300th, NOLA!
Happy 300th, NOLA!
Today, Jackson Square and other places in New Orleans will be full of revelers. No, it’s not a Mardi Gras do-over, it’s the city’s 300th birthday celebration. Sometime in the spring of 1718, ‘La Nouvelle-Orléans’ was founded by French investors. Since then, residents of the Big Easy have chosen May 7 as the day to celebrate the birth of New Orleans. Really, this city doesn’t need an excuse to throw a party, but this one’s going to be big.Desktop Version
Blue-footed booby, Galápagos Islands
Blue-footed booby, Galápagos Islands
Today we"re celebrating Darwin Day with this blue-footed booby on the shores of the Galápagos Islands, where the famous naturalist observed wildlife and collected specimens that would inform his theory of evolution.Desktop Version