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Nov 12, 2018Honoring those who served

Located near the Lincoln Memorial in West Potomac Park, the DC War Memorial honors citizens of the District of Columbia who served in World War I. It was dedicated in 1931 on Armistice Day, the observance now known as Veterans Day in the US, and is inscribed with the names of the 499 DC residents who died in the war. Built entirely of marble, it was designed to be large enough to accommodate the entire US Marine Band. That way, the structure could be both a memorial and a bandstand, with concerts that would pay tribute to those who served and sacrificed in the war. While Veterans Day was officially observed yesterday, many Americans have today off from work or school. How are you spending the day?Desktop Version

Oct 2, 2021A river on the tundra

This mesmerizing expanse captures a small stretch of the 95-mile-long Ivishak River in northern Alaska. The Ivishak flows in the Philip Smith Mountains and the foothills of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The entire run of the river is in a region called the North Slope Borough, Alaska"s northernmost borough (Alaska is divided into boroughs, not counties). Look at the magnificent colors and textures this photo captures—it"s a view that"s preserved and protected by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.Desktop Version

May 27, 2021Listening to the sea

Two enormous horns like those of old-fashioned gramophones are pointed toward the North Sea along this stretch of the Belgian coast. At the end of one of the horns, a bronze figure of a woman sits on a bench, seemingly listening to the distant sounds of the sea, while the other horn invites a visitor to do the same. The woman"s antiquated clothing, the outsized bolts on the horns, and the fluted Victrola-like design all echo the Belle Époque style once prevalent here on the Flemish coast. (Click on the above image to see more detailed views.)Desktop Version

Aug 17, 2021Wanderin Wawayanda

Preserving more than 35,000 acres of prime New Jersey highland wilderness, Wawayanda State Park brushes up against the state"s border with New York. The park"s name comes from a transliteration of the Indigenous Lenape people"s word for the area, said to mean "winding water" or "water on the mountain." A lake and a mountain within the park are also called Wawayanda—perhaps because it"s so fun to say?Desktop Version

Jul 28, 2020Over the boardwalk

In this shallow stretch of Shark Bay in Western Australia, a natural record of Earth"s history lies just below the water"s surface. Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve protects our planet"s biggest collections of stromatolites—small sedimentary rock towers built up over the centuries. Each layer captures fossils of the many microorganisms that populate our oceans. Some of the stromatolites in Hamelin Pool contain fossil specimens that are 3 billion years old. When you"re strolling down the boardwalk of Hamelin Pool, you"re walking over an unparalleled collection of biological history. The view of the Indian Ocean"s not bad either.Desktop Version

Oct 12, 2020Indigenous Peoples Day

With this image of totem poles, carved and erected by Haida people in British Columbia, Canada, we"re touching on two important events in North America today, one in the United States and the other in Canada. In the US, an increasing number of Americans observe the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day, a celebration of Native American peoples and an implicit (and sometimes explicit) critique of the Columbus Day holiday. Observations of Indigenous Peoples Day reflect an effort to honor the tribes, nations, and cultures that existed in North America before the arrival of European settlers and have endured since then.Desktop Version

Jul 25, 2021Illuminated Uluru

This landmark of the Land Down Under is usually pictured in sweltering desert sunlight. Now a 21st-century addition near the ancient rock of Uluru has people flocking here even at night.Desktop Version

Dec 27, 2019 Winterpret on ice

These skaters in the village of Kinderdijk are embracing "winterpret," a Dutch word that means "winter joy" or "winter fun." Whenever temps drop low enough, many locals take to the ice and skate away on a complex network of canals. These waterways were built centuries ago—along with pumps, dikes, and the windmills pictured here—to protect the village of Kinderdijk by diverting water from the land. It"s an important job, since Kinderdijk, like much of the Netherlands, lies below sea level and flooding is a major problem. Nowadays a modern water management system with multiple pumping stations does the work, and the windmills are left with a new job–to maintain an iconic Dutch scene. In 1997, the Kinderdijk windmills were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.Desktop Version

May 12, 2020Nursing 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

Nov 27, 2022Cecropia leaf and lobster claw petals in Mexico

No doubt your eyes are drawn to the large, silver-bluish leaf in today"s photo, but there"s a little more to this colorful display. We"re on the floor of a Mexican rainforest to examine a large Cecropia leaf and some lobster claw petals. The genus called Cecropia contains some of the most recognizable neotropical trees anywhere, but the roughly 60 different species can be hard to tell apart. All Cecropias grow fast, by tree standards anyway. On average, they"ll climb about 2.5 feet per year and under perfect conditions can grow as much as 10 feet in that time, eventually reaching around 60 feet tall. When dried, Cecropia leaves shrivel into a fist-like form which displays interesting patterns and shapes. Not only are Cecropias very popular with animals like sloths, monkeys, and toucans for their fruit and leaves, many species have a symbiotic relationship with Azteca ants. Cecropias provide shelter and food for ants, and the ants in turn defend the trees from plant-eating predators.Desktop Version

Aug 24, 2019Get the bear facts

If you want to see a brown bear in the wild—and from a safe distance—this is a good time to head to Katmai National Park and Preserve in southern Alaska. The 4.1-million-acre park is home to about 2,200 brown bears, the largest population of protected brown bears on the continent. In summer and early fall, these normally solitary creatures congregate and wade into rivers and streams to feast on salmon returning home to spawn. One of the best spots for bear watching is Brooks Camp, which offers three platforms built just for this purpose. But it takes some effort to get there—the park is only accessible by plane or boat.Desktop Version

Oct 21, 2018Welcome to El Cervantino

Every autumn in Guanajuato, Mexico, the city celebrates the Festival Internacional Cervantino, or El Cervantino, as it is known to many. The event began in the mid-20th century as a festival of theater performances—short plays called entreméses, mostly those written by Spanish novelist and playwright Cervantes. But in the 1970s, the festival expanded to include many additional arts, music, and cultural performances from around the world. This photo captures a performance by a group called Studio Festi.Desktop Version

Feb 10, 2020This park is Superkilen

The half-mile-long linear urban park called Superkilen was designed to inspire residents and visitors to congregate together in Nørrebro, one of Copenhagen"s most culturally and ethnically diverse neighborhoods. What was once a public space battling gang activity, graffiti, and vandalism, is now an example of "extreme public participation." The people who live around Superkilen helped design it, adding cultural objects that represent their homelands—more than 60 countries.Desktop Version

Aug 16, 2019Shining like Klondike gold

On August 16, 1896, two prospectors had their hopes literally pan out when they found a huge deposit of gold along the banks of the Yukon River in Canada’s Klondike region. And with that, Skookum Jim Mason (aka Keish) and his American brother-in-law George Carmack set in motion the Klondike Gold Rush—the richest gold strike in North American history. Because of the remoteness of the find, it would be over 11 months before the rest of the world found out. And it did so in the most dramatic fashion, when the steamers Portland and Excelsior pulled into the harbors of Seattle and San Francisco respectively carrying over one ton of gold (worth more than $1 billion in today"s dollars).Desktop Version

Aug 28, 2020A prison fit for a count

Château d"If, off the coast of Marseille, France, was built beginning in 1524 as a fortress by King Francis I. The tiny islet in the Mediterranean Sea was chosen as the site for the fortress because of its steep cliffs and strategic location near the busy port of Marseille. While the "château" never gained fame defending the ancient port (since it was never attacked), it did become notorious as a prison. Surrounded by treacherous currents—like Alcatraz in San Francisco—starting in the late 16th century it was a dumping ground for political and religious prisoners. As far as official records go, none of the prisoners condemned there ever escaped.Desktop Version

Jul 8, 2023Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Arkansas

The Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista, Arkansas, is one of the most charming buildings in the country. Constructed in 1988 and named for a beloved community member whose husband commissioned it, this chapel was designed by E. Fay Jones, an architect known for his wooden creations. Its unique design seamlessly blends modernist principles with nature"s splendor, resulting in a harmonious space which blends with its natural setting. Surrounded by lush trees, with sunlight filtering in through the huge glass windows, the chapel serves as a perfect sanctuary for contemplation and prayer. It also stands as a powerful testament to the ability of architecture to inspire and uplift the human spirit.Desktop Version

Aug 11, 2021Everyone s watching the Perseids

These dinosaurs are (nervously?) looking at the annual Perseid meteor shower, photographed at the Dinosaur Museum of Erenhot in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. Known as Dinosaur City, Erenhot gained attention in the 1920s when dino fossils were found there. It"s believed that more than 20 kinds of dinosaurs lived in the area during the Cretaceous Period around 70 million years ago.Desktop Version

Nov 21, 2018A showcase for future fame

The now legendary Apollo Theater first opened in 1914 as Hurtig & Seamon"s New Burlesque Theater. It became the Apollo in 1934, when it was opened to black patrons, who by then had transformed Harlem into a thriving center of African American culture. Amateur Night at the theater began the first year the Apollo opened, and it’s been a defining part of the Apollo experience ever since. Amateur Night has also been instrumental in launching the show business careers of numerous stars, including Jimi Hendrix, and on this day in 1934, a teenage Ella Fitzgerald, who won the amateur contest, starting her down a path toward becoming one of the most iconic singing voices of the 20th century. Tonight, the Apollo is hosting its Grand Finale for the 2018 Amateur Night season. Perhaps somebody taking the stage tonight will go on to greater fame?Desktop Version

Aug 10, 2019Seville celebrates first world tour

Five hundred years ago today, in 1519, Ferdinand Magellan departed from Seville, Spain, on his quest for a western passage to the Spice Islands. He sailed five ships and a crew of more than 230 men down the Guadalquivir, the river in today"s image. Magellan wouldn’t have seen this incarnation of Seville’s Triana Bridge, though. It was built more than three centuries after the expedition"s return to the city in 1522. While successful in finding a western route to the Pacific Ocean and returning with valuable spices, the feat came at great cost. Only one ship, under the command of Juan Sebastián Elcano, and 17 other crew members completed the global circumnavigation, returning to Spain three years after setting off. Magellan wasn’t among them. He was killed on April 27, 1521, at the Battle of Mactan in the Philippines.Desktop Version

Mar 30, 2020Spread some love with Bing

We hope this aerial view of Galešnjak, or Love Island, serves as inspiration to spread some love today via our newest feature: Give Mode. When you switch to Give Mode on Bing, your Bing searches will earn Microsoft Rewards points that automatically benefit your nonprofit of choice. Pick from more than 1 million charities, including those responding to the new coronavirus in the US and abroad. Your cause will get real monetary donations, and Microsoft will match them through June. What’s not to love?Desktop Version

Jun 16, 2020In the footsteps of Leopold Bloom

Today we"re looking down at St. Stephen"s Green in Dublin in honor of Bloomsday, a day when people celebrate Irish author James Joyce and his famous 1922 novel "Ulysses." But why today, you ask? That"s because the novel follows the meanderings and thoughts (and meandering thoughts) of the protagonist, Leopold Bloom, and a host of other characters—real and fictional—from 8 AM on June 16, 1904, through the early hours of the next morning.Desktop Version

Jul 1, 2021Celebrating migrations

For Canada Day, we"re peering up at "Passage migratoire" ("Migratory Passage"), an art installation of hanging woven canoes in Old Québec City. It was part of the 2016 edition of Passages Insolites (Unusual Passages), an annual public art exhibition in the historic Petit-Champlain and Saint-Roch districts of the city. The canoe has long been associated with Canada"s national history, linked with early explorers, fur traders, Indigenous peoples, and colonists who ventured out into the wilderness of the great north. The artist behind this installation, Giorgia Volpe, was inspired by "the idea of migration and its influence on the formation of our society and our territory." Canada welcomes on average about 200,000 immigrants each year, many of whom will become Canadian citizens. The migrations continue…Desktop Version

Nov 30, 2023Saint 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

Mar 22, 2020Celebrating World Water Day

The stepwell that these women are climbing is an apt image to mark World Water Day. Stepwells originated in western India over a thousand years ago as way for locals in that arid climate to easily and reliably access fresh water—even during the driest months. The Panna Meena Ka Kund stepwell in Jaipur is a classic example of the beautiful, regular, geometric architecture used to produce these useful public works. Most stepwells also feature shaded side chambers where locals (primarily women) can gather to escape the heat of the day.Desktop Version

Jun 26, 2019Get amped for Glastonbury

Greetings from Glastonbury Tor and St. Michael"s Tower in Somerset county of South West England. The tor (a Celtic word for an isolated hill) is often mentioned in Celtic mythology, and some believe it to be the site of Avalon, a mythical island central to legends of King Arthur. Glastonbury Tor has other enduring spiritual associations as well, particularly to various neopagan beliefs. Archaeological evidence suggests that several buildings have been constructed at the top of the hill over many centuries, but all that remains today is the roofless tower of St. Michael’s Church, built in the 1300s.Desktop Version

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