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Surströmming Day
Surströmming Day
Get your clothespins ready, it"s Surströmming Day! For the uninitiated, that means we"re in Sweden and cracking open this year"s surströmming harvest to enjoy its putrid wonder. Surströmming is Baltic herring that"s been caught in April and May, then lightly salted and allowed to ferment. Beginning in the 1940s, a royal ordinance forbade the selling of Surströmming before the third Thursday in August to prevent incompletely fermented fish from being sold. The ordinance is no longer on the books, but the tradition holds.Desktop Version
Sand dunes in the Sahara, Algeria
Sand dunes in the Sahara, Algeria
The Sahara spans over 3 million square miles of North Africa, covering large parts of various countries including Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia. Vast sand dunes, rocky plateaus, and occasional oases create a landscape like no other. Although it is the largest hot desert in the world, the Sahara supports drought-resistant plants like acacia and palm trees, and hardy animals such as camels and fennec foxes. Intriguing features include its shifting sand dunes, pictured in today"s image, some of which are over 500 feet high. Ancient rock art and fossils have also been discovered here, providing insights into early civilizations and prehistoric creatures. Sandstorms are common, shaping the ever-changing scenery and adding to the mystique of this natural wonder.Desktop Version
Pi Day
Pi Day
Today we"re observing Pi Day with a bird"s-eye view of the hedge maze at Cyherbia Botanical Park near Ayia Napa in Cyprus. It"s the day we celebrate the mathematical constant π. Today"s date, March 14, was chosen because when expressed numerically, it matches the first three digits of pi: 3.14. You remember pi from geometry class—it"s the ratio of the distance around a circle to the distance across it. Pi is used to compute a circle"s area and circumference. The circular labyrinth at the Cyherbia Botanical Park brings the ratio to life and is a must-visit for people who love to solve puzzles. If you"re ready for a challenge, give it a go.Desktop Version
April Fools Day
April Fools Day
In honor of April Fools" Day, take a moment to appreciate this trick of the eye created by the French street artist and photographer who goes by the name JR. He"s known for surreptitiously posting large black-and-white photographs in public locations, often in humorous contexts. This cheeky public-art piece from 2021 was installed in the desert sands of the Giza pyramid complex in Egypt. The installation makes it look as if the detached tip of the Pyramid of Khafre magically hovers above its base.Desktop Version
It s National Hispanic Heritage Month
It s National Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month takes us to the Texas border town of El Paso, where artist Jesus "CIMI" Alvarado is pictured applying the final touches to the mural he calls "Fronterizos" (Border People). It was commissioned by the El Paso Museum of Art for one of its outside walls. Alvarado began his painting career as a graffiti artist, tagging the walls of the city"s historic Segundo Barrio, and today his work can be found throughout the city. This mural depicts a local musician, Johnny Barragan, with an unnamed woman, and is described as an ode to a hometown hero of El Paso.Desktop Version
Happy winter solstice!
Happy winter solstice!
The winter solstice is here. Today marks the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere, while last night was the longest night of the year. This has been an important event for millennia, with evidence of celebrations going back as far as 10,000 BCE. Some of the world"s most famous Stone Age monuments, including Stonehenge, are aligned with the point that the sun rises or sets on the winter solstice. Traditionally, it was a time for feasting and lighting of fires to symbolize the darkest day of the year. Ancient Germanic tribes celebrated the winter solstice by bringing evergreens into their homes as a symbol of the returning light and the coming spring.Desktop Version
National Take a Hike Day
National Take a Hike Day
It"s National Take a Hike Day, so what better time to lace up those boots and head out on a trail to pay homage to John Muir, the patron saint (not really) of US hiking. Muir was instrumental in persuading the government that enjoying nature is the right of every American and that there should be an official national park system. He saw the spectacular beauty of the American West when he walked through the Sierra Nevada in California, and was passionate about preserving the country"s national wonders. In 1892, Muir founded the Sierra Club, an environmental organization that protects wild lands to this day.Desktop Version
FOR FOREST by Klaus Littmann
FOR FOREST by Klaus Littmann
When artist Klaus Littmann covered the pitch of this Austrian soccer stadium with 300 trees, he not only created the country"s largest public art installation—he brought to life a vision of a dystopian future. The installation here at Wörthersee Stadion (Stadium) in the city of Klagenfurt made headlines around the world when it was unveiled on September 8, 2019. Titled "FOR FOREST: The Unending Attraction of Nature," it"s inspired by a nearly identical pencil drawing created in 1970 by Max Peintner, an artist known in the European environmental movement. Littmann first saw the drawing 30 years ago and in the decades since, he held onto his dream of turning it into a reality. Through his work, he hopes to spark conversation about climate change, perception, and the relationship between nature and people. If you"d like to see it in person, you"ll have to hurry. It closes tomorrow, October 27, at 10 PM.Desktop Version
Roman bridge of Córdoba, Spain
Roman bridge of Córdoba, Spain
The Roman bridge of Córdoba, in the ancient Spanish city’s historic center, has been rebuilt several times over the centuries. For 2,000 years it was the city’s only bridge across the Guadalquivir River, originally built in the first century BCE during the expansion of the Roman Empire. Much of the current bridge dates from reconstruction in the 8th century following the Moorish conquest, a period when hundreds of mosques and palaces were built, and Córdoba became one of Europe"s largest cities and a center of learning and culture.Desktop Version
Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand
Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand
Are you ready to rock the new year? Today is Old Rock Day, a day for celebrating and learning about old rocks and fossils. Rocks are common and few of us take the time to consider how amazing they are. But forged in volcanoes or molded by millennia of pressure, these solid masses of minerals hold the key to understanding how our planet formed. Rocks can also contain fossils, the remnants of long-extinct organisms, which give scientists clues about what creatures and plants have lived on Earth during its 4.5-billion-year history.Desktop Version
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Few structures achieve the status of the Golden Gate Bridge—so recognizable that it needs no introduction. Opened on this day in 1937, the bridge was a marvel of engineering, built to withstand ferocious winds above and swirling currents below. Its construction was embraced by the local population because it would finally connect the rising metropolis of San Francisco to communities in Marin County and all that lay north. Before the bridge was completed, a ferry was the only way across the Golden Gate, the mile-wide strait that connects the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco Bay. Building a bridge to cross the span would be no small feat, and many thought it impossible.Desktop Version
Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
Grab your boots and gear, today we"re heading to Arizona to hike out to Horseshoe Bend. Known as the "east rim of the Grand Canyon," it"s actually about 140 miles from the other rims and is really more a part of nearby Glen Canyon. Scientifically, the beautiful view exists thanks to something called an "entrenched meander." Around 6 million years ago, the area was closer to sea level. The Colorado River, following the path of least resistance, meandered and became trapped when the Colorado Plateau uplifted around 5 million years ago. Over time, the river water cut through exposed sandstone, forming the thousand-foot-deep, 270-degree horseshoe-shaped bend.Desktop Version
Veterans Day
Veterans Day
For Veterans Day today, we"re featuring a moment captured back in 2016 of US sailors on the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima. It was Veterans Week in New York City, and the ship was sailing across the Hudson River on its way to participate in the events. Every year on November 11 we celebrate Veterans Day and honor all service members living or dead, including these sailors. There are currently around 19 million living veterans and 1.3 million active service members in the US.Desktop Version
50 years of World Heritage Sites
50 years of World Heritage Sites
At its World Heritage Convention on November 16, 1972, UNESCO adopted an international treaty that for the first time linked the concepts of nature conservation and preservation of cultural properties. The World Heritage Sites program was sparked by Egypt"s plans to construct the Aswan High Dam. UNESCO helped save thousands of antiquities that would have been lost as a result of the dam, which flooded a large swath of the Nile Valley.Desktop Version
La Rocque Harbour, Island of Jersey
La Rocque Harbour, Island of Jersey
Just off the coast of Normandy, France lies Jersey, a British island with a Norse name. Found on the southeastern shore of the island is La Rocque Harbour, home to a white, sandy beach and an elevated walkway that stretches out into the water. The shoreline"s granite and plutonic rocks, which originated more than 420 million years ago, showcase a variety of colors and textures. Visible from the harbor are the round, stubby Icho Tower and the taller Seymour Tower, built in the 18th and 19th centuries respectively as coastal defense structures. Both structures are over 1,800 feet away from the shore and can be reached on foot with a sturdy pair of shoes, but only on the days of the year where the tide is lowest.Desktop Version
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year"s Day! Humans have celebrated the new year since at least 2000 BCE, but various cultures have chosen different days coinciding with equinoxes or lunar cycles. The Romans established January 1 as the beginning of the year in 153 BCE, but this fell out of favor throughout Europe during the medieval era. Since 1582 and the widespread adoption of the Gregorian calendar, however, much of the world now celebrates the new year today. In addition to watching fireworks, drinking champagne, and making resolutions in the wee hours of the morning, other global traditions include making noise, eating lucky foods, and giving gifts.Desktop Version
Glenariff Forest Park, Northern Ireland, UK
Glenariff Forest Park, Northern Ireland, UK
Ever wondered what it"s like to stroll through a storybook? Welcome to Glenariff Forest Park in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. This park spans nearly 3,000 acres of woodland, waterfalls, and wonder, and it boasts several walking trails, each offering its own unique perspective of the landscape. The most popular is the Waterfall Walkway, a 3-mile trail that passes through a National Nature Reserve and features the Ess-na-Crub and Ess-na-Larach waterfalls. Glenariff is home to a rich diversity of wildlife including red squirrels, pine martens, and badgers. Birdwatchers will be delighted by willow warblers, chiffchaffs, and kingfishers. The flora is just as impressive, with trees such as the ancient beech, pictured here, oak, birch, and rowan creating a lush canopy. So, whenever you choose to visit, Glenariff is sure to leave you feeling "re-leafed" and rejuvenated.Desktop Version
Bohemian Switzerland
Bohemian Switzerland
Today we rhapsodize about the beautiful region called Bohemian Switzerland, but we"re hundreds of miles from Switzerland. The name for the area originated with Swiss painters visiting the Kingdom of Bohemia, now the western half of the Czech Republic. They were reminded of their homeland by this region"s dramatic sandstone formations. Turns out the acclaimed artist named Mother Nature finds inspiration here, too, turning the Bohemian Switzerland’s pockets of thick forest into a canvas of warm oranges and yellows every autumn.Desktop Version
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is a single celebration that commemorates the formation and signing of the US Constitution while also recognizing both naturalized citizens and those born in the US. It"s a day to learn about these subjects, as well as a day many people become naturalized citizens in group ceremonies. (On average, about 700,000 people become US citizens every year.) To celebrate, we"re looking at an unusual close-up of the Statue of Liberty, a welcoming sight to immigrants and a symbol of freedom since 1886. The statue"s tablet has the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) inscribed in Roman numerals: JULY IV MDCCLXXVI.Desktop Version
Siblings Day
Siblings Day
Make the most of this family photo—caracals tend to go solo as adults, so these cute cubs will hang out together only until they"ve honed their hunting skills from watching mom. In the meantime, we think they make ideal mascots for Siblings Day, celebrated in the US and Canada on April 10.Desktop Version
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween!
These mask-like monsters of the Minster wish you a hearty "Happy Halloween"! That"s York Minster, by the way, the towering medieval cathedral in the heart of York, England, decorated with these impish figures meant to scare off evil spirits. Just don"t call them gargoyles (for that title to apply, they"d need waterspouts)! Statues like these fellas bear an even more Halloween-appropriate name: grotesques.Desktop Version
Pamukkale, Turkey
Pamukkale, Turkey
The stunning travertine terraces and hot pools of Pamukkale, Turkey, have dazzled visitors since at least the end of the 2nd century BCE, with the founding of the Greco-Roman thermal spa of Hierapolis. Since then, people have enjoyed a relaxing soak in the 97-degree Fahrenheit water, claiming curative powers for many ailments.Desktop Version
Infinity Day
Infinity Day
This looping highway in Taipei bears a resemblance to the symbol of infinity—the concept of something without ends or limits that is celebrated today. Infinity Day is held on the eighth day of the eighth month, a nod to the symbol"s likeness to a sideways figure-of-eight. Established in 1987 by a New York-based philosopher, Jean-Pierre Ady Fenyo, the day celebrates freedom of thinking in its various forms, from philosophy through the arts and sciences. The symbol itself has a much longer history. English mathematician John Wallis is credited with introducing it as a mathematical symbol in 1655. The philosophical concept of infinity dates back at least as far as ancient Greece.Desktop Version
The Guggenheim turns 60
The Guggenheim turns 60
Today"s image shows the Guggenheim on the day before its grand opening, 60 years ago today. Since then, it"s become an iconic building in the New York cityscape. Housed in a white spiral building that emerges from Fifth Avenue, the museum started with several private collections, including that of founder Solomon R. Guggenheim. The collection has grown over the decades to contain some of the world’s most notable examples of impressionist, post-impressionist, early modern, and contemporary art.Desktop Version
Valentines Day
Valentines Day
Love is in the air as Valentine"s Day arrives! These red-crowned cranes, seen in the reed marshes and frozen lakes of Hokkaido Island, Japan, know how to turn on the charm. The graceful birds call in unison and bow to each other as part of their captivating mating dance. Once a mate is chosen, the pair develop a lifelong bond, a trait that has helped make them a symbol of longevity, fidelity, and good fortune in Japanese culture. These gentle creatures were also the inspiration for the traditional origami crane. According to legend, folding a thousand cranes can grant wishes.Desktop Version