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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

Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona — Today we"re peering up from the depths of Lower Antelope Canyon, located in Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park near Page, Arizona. This tall, narrow channel is an entry point into Antelope Canyon, a slot canyon that was created over millions of years by flash floods carving away at the soft Navajo sandstone.Desktop Version

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

Crescent Lake near Dunhuang, China — Crescent Lake is a captivating natural wonder hidden in the vast Gobi Desert near the Chinese city of Dunhuang in Gansu province. This oasis, named for its unusual shape, has been a vital water source here for centuries. The lake is thought to have formed in a valley carved by wind and been fed by an underground spring. It sits amid Dunhuang"s "singing" sand dunes, which make a noise when the wind blows. The sand dunes also help stop the lake from being swallowed by sand and conservation efforts have ensured that it doesn"t dry out. Visitors enjoy boating on the lake, camel rides through the surrounding dunes, and seeing ancient Buddhist art and murals in the nearby Mogao Caves.Desktop Version

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

A goldie gala — It"s ladies" night at the Great Barrier Reef: Their bright orange-pink coloration indicates these sea goldies are females. But that could change quickly: Sea goldies are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning that when there aren"t enough fellas around, the largest females change sex to become male, turning purplish and growing even larger. All goldies are born female, but those that switch to male enjoy instantly better odds at mating time: For every male goldie there are up to 10 females.Desktop Version

Mount Hood, Oregon — Mount Hood graces Oregon"s skyline with a pointed, snow-capped peak. At nearly 11,250 feet high, this dormant stratovolcano is the tallest mountain in the state, drawing adventurers and nature aficionados alike. With 12 named glaciers and numerous snow fields, Mount Hood offers a wintry playground all year round. It also nurtures ancient forests and provides a haven for wildlife, including cougars and wolves. Over the past 1,800 years, the volcano has erupted three times. While considered dormant, there is still a chance that it could erupt one day.Desktop Version

World Meteorological Day — Did you check the weather forecast today? Does it look like rain? Will it turn colder? What"s the outlook for the weekend? These questions may seem commonplace, even mundane, but the answers can be of crucial importance. Given our reliance on weather prediction, let"s tip the rain hat to the world"s weather experts on World Meteorological Day, celebrated each March 23 by the United Nation"s World Meteorological Organization (WMO).Desktop Version

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

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

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

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

Talk like a pirate—or walk the plank — Blimey! The so-called Golden Age of Piracy, in the 17th and 18th centuries, has long captured our imaginations, and inspired books and movies about swashbucklers on the high seas. So much do Americans love pirates, that they created a holiday dedicated to blabberin" like one. Talk Like a Pirate Day was first imagined in 1995 by two Oregon residents who pitched the idea to columnist Dave Barry. From there, it went viral. These days, Sept 19 is celebrated internationally, with major brands and media personalities joining in the silliness. We’re fans, too. Just picture us typin" this here with an eye patch, peg leg, an" pocket-full o" swag doubloons. Arrrrrr!Desktop Version

GOAL! — This photo captures an unusual view of Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, where soccer"s most prestigious event, the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final, takes place today. If you"re still feeling fuzzy on World Cup details, here’s a quick primer: Today"s event is the culmination of 64 matches that began June 14, with 32 men"s national teams battling for the sport"s top honors. Previous World Cup champs France face off against Croatia in today’s game. Croatia’s team is the "Cinderella" of the match, as they’ve come through with some unexpected victories. Congrats to both teams for making it this far!Desktop Version

Lucian Blaga National Theater, Cluj-Napoca, Romania — The Lucian Blaga National Theater, in the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca, is a cultural icon. Built between 1904 and 1906, it was designed by the famous Austrian architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer in the Neo-Baroque style, popular in the late 19th century. This opulent style nodded back to the grandiosity of the Baroque movement, which began in Rome in the 1600s and flourished across Europe. The building houses both the national theater and the Romanian Opera and plays host to a wide array of cultural events here in Romania"s second-largest city.Desktop Version

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 — 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

Hippo family in Chobe National Park, Botswana — It"s World Hippo Day, time to celebrate one of Earth"s heaviest land animals! These African herbivores are scattered across the continent south of the Sahara Desert but, despite their wide range, hippos are listed as a vulnerable species due to habitat loss. While they spend their lives in and around water, hippos aren"t good swimmers and can"t float. They move about in deep water by bouncing off the bottom. Hippos can live up to 40 years in the wild and possess the largest mouth of any land animal in the world, so smiling for the camera comes naturally.Desktop Version

Balloons and camels are two ways to catch a ride here — Welcome to India"s largest camel and livestock festival, the Pushkar Camel Fair. Thousands of people travel across mountains and through the Thar Desert to buy and sell livestock and enjoy the carnival-like atmosphere here. The fair offers visitors many diversions, but it"s the camels who get top billing. Considered "ships of the desert," camels were domesticated by nomads thousands of years ago to carry goods across forbidding landscapes. When well fed and hydrated, a camel can travel great distances without needing water or food, sometimes for weeks. The humps on a camel"s back serve a purpose: they"re fatty deposits that act as a source of nutrition. Here, on the edge of the Thar Desert, the camel remains a mode of transport for nomads as well as a source for textiles, goods, and sustenance (did you know a camel"s milk does not curdle in the desert heat?). The camel is held in such high esteem, the Pushkar Fair even stages camel decoration contests.Desktop Version

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 — 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

Aug 18, 2023Avatar Mountains, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China

These stunning stone spires, rising from the forest in China"s Hunan province, are said to have inspired the floating mountains of the movie "Avatar." There are more than 3,000 of these quartz-sandstone pillars in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, often swathed in mist, part of a spectacular landscape that has inspired generations of painters. These days, they are popularly known as the "Avatar Mountains" and one, the 3,544-foot-high Southern Sky Pillar, was officially renamed as "Avatar Hallelujah Mountain" in 2010, the year after the blockbuster movie was released.Desktop Version

Spring awakens — No flower better signals the start of spring than crocuses, early bloomers that come in Easter egg colors such as purple, lavender, orange, pink, and yellow. Crocuses are perennial, flowering bulbs that are built for toughness. As you can see, the plants are able to endure frost and even snow because their flowers and leaves are protected by a waxy cuticle. That"s why the first blooms you see in spring are often crocuses. They can grow in a variety of environments, even in the high elevations of the alpine tundra above the tree line.Desktop Version

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

Winter Olympics in Beijing — Winter is coming to Beijing. The Winter Olympics that is, as the Chinese capital hosts the 24th edition of the sporting extravaganza. Over the next 17 days, close to 3,000 athletes will compete in 109 events across 15 disciplines in seven sports. The venues are spread over three zones: central Beijing, the Yanqing District of northwestern Beijing, and Zhangjiakou, a city in neighboring Hebei province. Artificial snow will be used for outdoor competitions, including here at the illuminated Big Air Shougang, the only snow event venue in downtown Beijing.Desktop Version

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