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Tom Turkey takes Manhattan
Tom Turkey takes Manhattan
The Tom Turkey float has been in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1971, missing only one outing in 2003. The hat-wearing turkey flaps his wings and rolls out as the lead attraction in the parade, with Santa Claus bringing up the rear to bookend this holiday tradition. Long before Tom joined the lineup, and a few years before giant balloons shaped like animals and cartoon characters came along, live animals from the Central Park Zoo were a big feature in the parade. Did you watch the procession today?Desktop Version
Fibonacci Day
Fibonacci Day
It"s a bit of a fib that Fibonacci, the 13th-century Italian math whiz, was the first to sketch out a number sequence in which each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and so on forever. In fact, scholars in India described the sequence centuries before Fibonacci, and they probably weren"t the first to figure it out either. But in any case, each November 23—that is, 11/23—we celebrate the infinite series known as the Fibonacci sequence.Desktop Version
The Cutty Sark turns 150
The Cutty Sark turns 150
We"re featuring the Cutty Sark in today"s image to mark the 150th anniversary of its launching on November 22, 1869. Built for speed, the Cutty Sark began its abbreviated career as a tea clipper racing across oceans "at a clip" (hence the designation "clipper ship") to deliver the season"s first tea harvest from China to England. While at times considered one of the fastest ships in the world, the Cutty Sark’s practical use as a cargo ship was ending almost as soon as it was launched. That"s because steamships using the much shorter route through the newly opened Suez Canal were able to deliver the highly anticipated tea harvest faster and more cheaply. In 1883, the Cutty Sark began hauling wool from Australia, but within 10 years steamships also disrupted this business.Desktop Version
Mexico celebrates its Independence Day
Mexico celebrates its Independence Day
September 16 is Independence Day in Mexico, and visitors here in Mexico City can expect fireworks, fiestas, and décor in the colors of the Mexican flag—red, white, and green. In Mexico City, Independence Day festivities begin with a reenactment of the ‘Grito de Dolores’ (Cry of Dolores), an event in 1810 when priest Miguel Hidalgo rang the bell of his church and called for a revolt from Spain. Each year, on the eve of Independence Day, Mexico’s president rings the same bell that Hidalgo rang and delivers a patriotic speech at the National Palace.Desktop Version
The snows of Fuji
The snows of Fuji
This shot of Mount Fuji"s symmetrical cone was taken in September 2020, showcasing the first snow of the season. The dusting proved short-lived, melting off in just a couple of days. And snow wouldn"t come again until the end of December—raising new concerns about decades of rising temperatures on Fuji"s slopes.Desktop Version
Chapel on the rock
Chapel on the rock
Pace yourself—you"ll need to climb 268 stone steps to reach the entrance of Chapel St-Michel d"Aiguilhe (Chapel of St. Michael of the Needle). This historic church near Le Puy-en-Velay, France, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that attracts visitors from around the world. It was constructed in 969 by a local bishop and dedicated to the Archangel Michael, the patron saint of mountaintops. Even before the chapel was built, the site had spiritual significance, as it was home to prehistoric dolmens (stone tombs) built by the Romans to honor their god Mercury.Desktop Version
For Hispanic Heritage Month: Out of Many, One
For Hispanic Heritage Month: Out of Many, One
This giant portrait by Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada is called "Out of Many, One." It was installed on the National Mall lawn in October 2014 and remained for one month. The title not only refers to the motto of the United States (E pluribus unum, Latin for "out of many, one") but hints at how the portrait was created.Desktop Version
A river runs through rice fields
A river runs through rice fields
We"re peering down the winding Ngo Dong River at a group of rowboats meandering through rice paddy fields. This is Ninh Bình province in Vietnam, about 60 miles south of Hanoi. On these two-hour tours by traditional Vietnamese rowboat, visitors wend their way between limestone karst peaks, through grottoes, and, if they"re lucky, by workers harvesting rice in the fields, their wide-brimmed hats shielding them from the sun. Perhaps the most spectacular time to take this river cruise is around harvest time in late May and early June when the paddy fields are awash in a golden glow with a backdrop of bright green hillsides. But don"t be surprised if the person rowing your boat moves the oars from hands to feet. It"s tradition here for rowers to give their arms a break and let their legs take over.Desktop Version
Whatever floats your boat
Whatever floats your boat
These turquoise waters are lapping the sands of Mont Choisy Beach in Mauritius, an island nation off the southeastern coast of Africa. It"s a popular spot for locals and tourists to swim, enjoy the sun, or head out in one of these boats to catch some fish. The island has a unique cultural history. Most scholars believe it was known to Arab seafarers by the 10th century, but it remained uninhabited until Portuguese sailors established a base on the island in the early 1500s. Mauritius was later colonized in succession by the Netherlands, France, and Great Britain before gaining independence in 1968. Over the years, Mauritius has evolved from a low-income economy based mostly on sugarcane (still one of its biggest exports), to a more diverse one that includes tourism, clothing production, and technology.Desktop Version
Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest National Park
The burliest lumberjack with the best-oiled chainsaw couldn"t slice the massive "timbers" found in Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona. So why are these giant stone logs segmented in such symmetrical rounds, as if they"re ready to be split into firewood?Desktop Version
All eyes on moths
All eyes on moths
Quick! Can you find this moth"s head? If the markings on the wings distracted you for a second, score an evolutionary victory for this saturniid moth resting in Mole National Park in Ghana. It"s thought that moths, butterflies, and other creatures use this crafty form of mimicry, called eyespots, to either intimidate predators or draw them to attack less vulnerable parts of the body.Desktop Version
Wake up, it s Darwin Day
Wake up, it s Darwin Day
On Charles Darwin"s birthday, we celebrate Darwin Day—and, of course, there"s no better place to do that than the Galápagos Islands. Darwin is best known for his theory of evolution by natural selection, which he published in his 1859 book "On the Origin of Species." During his travels to the Galápagos Islands years earlier, Darwin observed creatures that were similar from island to island but had slightly different adaptations to better survive in their specific environments. This became a key component of his research. The islands are home to thousands of unique species, including this Pinzon Island tortoise, which we see hatching from an egg at the Charles Darwin Research Station.Desktop Version
In celebration of America’s national bird
In celebration of America’s national bird
June 20 is 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 likely recognize the Great Seal of the United States from its appearance on passports, flags, official documents, and American currency. The bald eagle, now federally protected, continues to inspire national pride.Desktop Version
Lizard of mystery
Lizard of mystery
The curious case of the Ecuadorian horned anole has fascinated herpetologists, making it an excellent mascot for World Lizard Day. Its story starts in 1953, when a single male specimen of the species was discovered near the Ecuadorian town of Mindo. Over the next 13 years, only a handful of additional Ecuadorian horned anoles were found, all males, and each sporting the same long snout that earned its species the nickname ‘Pinocchio lizard.’ So rare and secretive is this anole, that for the next four decades no more individuals were found, and scientists feared the Pinocchio lizard had gone extinct. It wasn’t spotted again until 2004, when researchers glimpsed a female for the first time. She didn’t have a long snout, leading scientists to believe the male’s sword-like appendage is primarily used in courtship (insert your own joke here).Desktop Version
Back to the nest
Back to the nest
Spring is nearly here—if you live in the Southern Hemisphere. And these black-browed albatrosses, sometimes called mollymawks, have returned to their nesting grounds in the Falkland Islands where they will reunite with their mates. Each bird pair will lay a single egg in October and nurture the hatchling from December until April, when it’s time to take off and hunt the high seas again.Desktop Version
Is there a bug-egg emoji for this?
Is there a bug-egg emoji for this?
Nothing says ‘smile!’ like a bunch of eggs laid by a member of the Pentatomidae family of insects. Not all stink bug eggs look like they have faces, but this incident of ‘life imitates emoji’ was too good to pass up today. That’s right, it’s World Emoji Day. Those tiny, cartoonish pictures that often stand in for words and phrases in social media posts and text messages have become a system of communication all their own. But why on July 17? Early on in the (very recent) history of emoji, the calendar emoji displayed July 17. So, when the time came for emoji to get their own day of recognition, this date stood out above all others.Desktop Version
Taking the scenic route to Sturgis
Taking the scenic route to Sturgis
South Dakota’s scenic highways roar to life this week as hundreds of thousands of bikers from around the world arrive for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The small town of Sturgis, population roughly 7,000, swells to a gathering of half a million for this event, which includes 10 days of races, concerts, and revelry. The Sturgis rally was founded in 1938 by the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club and Sturgis resident Clarence ‘Pappy’ Hoel–a legend in these parts. What started as a modest gathering of just nine riders is now one of the largest rallies in the world.Desktop Version
On this shore, history was made
On this shore, history was made
As the sun sets on a beach in Normandy, France, what appear to be working barges and boats offshore are actually the remnants of a Mulberry harbour, one of the temporary portable harbors created by the Allies during World War II. Their story began 77 years ago today, on D-Day, when the first of the Allied troops touched down on the Nazi-occupied beaches at Normandy. After the Allies successfully held the beachheads, the Mulberries were towed into place so the artificial harbors could provide the port facilities necessary to offload the thousands of men and vehicles, and tons of supplies necessary to sustain the effort to drive the Germans out of France.Desktop Version
Women s suffrage at 100
Women s suffrage at 100
Today marks 100 years since women won the constitutional right to vote in the United States, and we"re in Nashville, Tennessee, to celebrate five monumental figures in the women"s suffrage movement. Why Nashville? Because it was Tennessee"s capital that became the final battlefront in the long fight for the Nineteenth Amendment. On August 18, 1920, the state legislature faced a choice: Should Tennessee become the 36th and deciding state to ratify the amendment, securing its place in the Constitution? The stakes were high as eight states had already rejected the measure—but thanks to some unexpected "aye" votes from known opposers (one representative switched his vote at the urging of his mother), ratification won out.Desktop Version
Jackie Robinson Day
Jackie Robinson Day
On April 15, 1947, more than 26,000 spectators at Brooklyn"s Ebbets Field witnessed history as Jackie Robinson became the first Black player on a modern-era major league baseball team. (Three Black players played in the major leagues briefly in the 19th century before the color line was fully established.) Robinson endured racist resistance throughout his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers, but the national pastime"s color barrier was broken, and other players followed him within months. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired Robinson"s number, 42, across all teams, and in 2004 it began the annual April 15 observance of Jackie Robinson Day. This photo shows Robinson signing autographs for fans at spring training in the Dominican Republic the year after his debut.Desktop Version
Sharp-dressed bug
Sharp-dressed bug
Sometimes to be left alone, you just have to act prickly—like a thorn bug. Looking like a plant"s painful parts, this sneaky insect wards off predators simply by being itself. Thorn bugs are found in the countries of Central America, such as Honduras, where this photo was taken, as well as Mexico, and parts of Florida…but only if you can spot them.Desktop Version
Nursing the world to health
Nursing the world to health
Today we"re celebrating some of the heroes among us on International Nurses Day. May 12, 2020 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the "Lady with the Lamp" credited with reinventing and modernizing the profession of nursing. Born into a wealthy English family living in Italy, she spurned the traditional Victorian roles of wife and hostess to embark on a career in nursing and social reform. After training as a nurse in Germany and serving as one in London, her friend and confidant, War Secretary Sidney Herbert, sent Nightingale and a staff of 38 women she had trained as nurses to help care for the wounded of the Crimean War.Desktop Version
Keep your hands inside the ride at all times…
Keep your hands inside the ride at all times…
This roller coaster at Skyline Park in Bad Wörishofen, Germany, like all other modern coasters, can trace its lineage back to the engineering work of Russian refugees living in 17th-century Portugal. To recreate the fun of sledding down snow-covered hills, the Russians built ice-bearing wooden platforms and ramps similar to very large playground slides. As the concept of the ‘Russian Mountain’ ride caught on across Europe, mechanical parts came into play, including sled-like vehicles to ride in, and rails to keep the carts on track. Over the centuries, these coaster-like rides grew to resemble the extreme, gravity-challenging thrill rides we see at modern theme parks. Where is your favorite roller coaster?Desktop Version
A wild, craggy corner of the United States
A wild, craggy corner of the United States
The sun is setting here on the west coast of Washington state"s rugged Olympic Peninsula, where more than 3,000 square miles of marine waters are protected as part of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Wondering where exactly we are? Look at a map of the United States and draw your finger up the West Coast until it ends where the Strait of Juan de Fuca meets the Pacific Ocean. Those final 135 miles of shoreline form the landward boundary of the sanctuary, which also extends seaward 25 to 50 miles.Desktop Version
Art and soul
Art and soul
Art can seem like a portal to another dimension, as Irish-born artist Laura Buckley shows us in today"s mind-bending image. She posed here (and there, and there, and there…) with her mixed-media sculpture "Fata Morgana" at London"s Saatchi Gallery last year. The work is outwardly unassuming, made from a hexagonal wood-frame tube lined on the inside with reflective acrylic and capped on one end with a projection screen. When a viewer enters the installation, the mirrored surfaces reflect their image along with a video projected on the screen, merging the two into a whimsical mirage.Desktop Version