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Jun 17, 2023International Surfing Day

International Surfing Day promotes the protection of the ocean alongside celebrating the sport itself, every year on the third Saturday in June. People gather for surfing contests, barbeques, beach cleanups, and other activities to help restore the ocean environment. Coming together for a cause is a hallmark of the global surfing community, whether campaigning for cleaner waters or standing together against injustice, as they did at the Paddle Out for Unity gathering in 2020 in Encinitas, California, pictured on our homepage.Desktop Version

Apr 11, 2025Tulips, Netherlands

From the famous tulip fields to the world"s largest flower auction, the Netherlands and tulips go a long way back. Tulips didn"t originate here. These beauties arrived in the country in the late 16th century, brought from the Ottoman Empire. By the 17th century, they became so valuable that a single bulb could cost more than a house. This period, known as "tulip mania," is considered one of the first recorded financial bubbles. When prices crashed in 1637, fortunes were lost, but the love for tulips remained.Desktop Version

Jun 19, 2023Juneteenth

Juneteenth is here, a day celebrating the freedom of enslaved African Americans shortly after the end of the Civil War. While Abraham Lincoln"s final Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863 freed slaves in Confederate states, certain areas did not abolish slavery until months after Confederate forces surrendered. Texas issued an order on June 19, 1865, that "all slaves are free." This act was the origin of Juneteenth, which combines the words June and nineteenth. However, slavery did not fully end in the US until the 13th Amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865.Desktop Version

Aug 4, 2022Satla marshland in Bangladesh

There may be a more peaceful, stress-free job somewhere, but we wager that the farmers harvesting water lilies and gliding along the river in Satla, Bangladesh, might have that locked up. The flowers bloom during the seasonal flood from August to November, cloaking an incredible 15 square miles of wetlands in gorgeous, fragrant pink. The village of Satla, in the Barisal District of south-central Bangladesh, is known as the capital of "shapla," or water lilies, for obvious reasons.Desktop Version

Jul 30, 2024San Gimignano, Siena Tuscany, Italy

These medieval towers stand tall over San Gimignano, a small town near Siena in north central Italy. In the Middle Ages, a town grew up around a church dedicated to St. Geminianus (San Gimignano in Italian). As well as being a popular stop for pilgrims on their way to Rome, the town prospered thanks to its trade in local Vernaccia wine and in saffron, which is grown in the nearby hills. However, when the Black Death struck in 1348, half the population was lost, slowing the town"s development and preserving its medieval character to this day.Desktop Version

Jan 26, 2024Northern hawk-owl

While other owls spend their days sleeping off the night before, the northern hawk-owl is a bird of a different feather. One of the few owls active during the day, that piercing gaze scours the boreal forests of North America, Europe, and Asia for prey. Northern hawk-owls aren"t picky eaters: Mice, rats, voles, lemmings, rabbits, shrews, moles, and the occasional frog are all on the menu. These vocal birds have different calls for mating, chatting with their young, and warning that danger is nearby. If you get too close to their nest, protective parents have been known to swoop at humans to keep them away.Desktop Version

Oct 18, 2023Alaska Day

On October 18, 1867, the Russian Empire transferred the territory of Alaska to the United States of America as a result of negotiations by US Secretary of State William Seward. Referred to as the Alaska Purchase, the United States paid 7.2 million dollars, about two cents per acre, for the land. Today, that date is known as Alaska Day, a commemoration that honors the rich history, cultural tapestry, untamed wilderness, and unwavering resilience of the state.Desktop Version

Sep 7, 2022200th anniversary of Brazilian independence

Today we visit the Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow) in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate 200 years of Brazilian independence. Designed by Spanish neofuturist architect Santiago Calatrava, the unique structure was commissioned to showcase Rio"s revitalized waterfront ahead of the 2016 Olympics. The museum comprises five main areas: Cosmos, Earth, Anthropocene, Tomorrow, and Us, each inviting visitors to interact in different ways and learn about living in a sustainable world.Desktop Version

Apr 2, 2024Beech trees and wild anemones, Jutland, Denmark

Today"s homepage takes us to Jutland, Denmark, where the arrival of spring showcases the green hues of the European beech, a national symbol of this northern land. The young leaves of these budding trees are significant to the Danish people, as they are harvested from April to May and used in cooking—particularly in salads. In the past, Europeans would often use the smooth bark of beech trees for writings texts and the word "book" is thought to be derived from the word for "beech." As the sun shines through the forest canopy, wild anemones brighten up the woodland with their white petals. These blooms, representing delicate beauty and sincerity, have even starred in masterpieces by artists such as Monet and Vincent van Gogh.Desktop Version

Mar 10, 2023Vale of Edale, Peak District, England

Welcome to the Vale of Edale, home to a small village which marks the starting point of one of the UK"s most famous long-distance walks. Edale is one of many dales—or wide valleys—of England"s Peak District National Park, a picturesque area where heather moorland and rocky gritstone landscapes sit side-by-side with rolling uplands. From here, walkers set out on the hilly and remote Pennine Way, covering 268 miles along England"s wildest landscapes up to the Scottish Borders. But if you don"t want to hike that far, excellent walking country surrounds the village itself, which lies to the south of the Peak District"s highest point, Kinder Scout.Desktop Version

Nov 23, 2022Fibonacci Day

The sunflower is an eye-catcher, growing to the sky and brightly singing of summer no matter the time of year. Helianthus annuus is native to the Americas, and its flowering head is actually made up of more tiny flowers that mature into seeds (and, of course, get eaten around the world). But did you know that sunflowers also bring one of nature"s mathematical wonders to life?Desktop Version

Sep 5, 20242024 Toronto International Film Festival

Cinema aficionados, assemble. The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) gears up to dazzle with its 49th edition in Canada"s largest city, seen in today"s image. Since it began in 1976, the TIFF has become one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Attendees range from seasoned directors to rising stars and eager cinephiles and the festival has hosted premieres of many critically acclaimed films, including "The Fabelmans" and "Black Swan."Desktop Version

Mar 11, 2024National Napping Day

Feeling sluggish from the effects of daylight saving time? Don"t worry, National Napping Day has you covered! This holiday, introduced in 1999 by Boston University professor William Anthony and his wife, Camille, promotes naps and their short-term benefits to mental alertness. Take a cue from today"s image; this sleepy koala may inspire you to catch some Z"s. These adorable Australian marsupials can sleep up to 20 hours a day, which helps them conserve the little energy they get from their eucalyptus-based diet. Koalas move slowly when awake, spend most of their time tucked into nooks in trees, and have a lower body temperature than other animals of their size. Let"s find some time today to sneak off to a peaceful spot to experience the benefits of Napping Day.Desktop Version

Dec 17, 2024Traditional red fishermens cabins, Reine, Norway

Step aside, regular beach houses—Reine"s little red cabins are here to steal the show. One of the prettiest places in the Lofoten Islands of Norway, Reine is a fishing village with a population of around 300. A trading post since 1775, it has evolved from a commercial hub to become a sought-after tourist destination. The village"s waterfront is lined with the traditional fishermen"s cabins called rorbu or rorbuer, which are mostly red in color, as seen in today"s image. Once important to fishermen, these cabins have now become a popular pick for tourist rentals. In 1999, German painter Ingo Kühl set up a pop-up studio in a rorbu in Reine, where he painted scenes of the harbor framed by the towering mountain range. This village truly shines in winter, when you have the chance to see the northern lights twinkling in the night sky.Desktop Version

May 26, 2023Wat Sri Sawai in Sukhothai Historical Park, Thailand

Welcome to Sukhothai Historical Park, one of Thailand"s most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage sites. The park is dotted with ancient temples, the remains of a palace, and towering Buddha statues—within its boundaries is the historic town of Sukhothai, an important metropolitan hub in the 13th and 14th centuries. The name translates as "the dawn of happiness" and you can spend many happy hours here, strolling among the beautiful lawns, trees, and lakes. The temple on our homepage is Wat Si Sawai, one of the oldest on the site, founded in the late 12th or early 13th century. Sukhothai was the capital of the first Kingdom of Siam more than 700 years ago and this historic site continues to offer a window onto what is sometimes seen as a golden age of Thai civilization.Desktop Version

Apr 28, 2023Arbor Day

We"re celebrating Arbor Day with some of Yosemite"s most famous residents, the giant sequoia trees of Mariposa Grove. The day champions the planting and preservation of trees and can trace its roots back more than 150 years. In 1872, Nebraska City News editor Julius Sterling Morton proposed a day for locals to plant trees, and the idea grew and grew. Today all 50 states celebrate Arbor Day, most commonly on the last Friday in April, although different states might observe it on the best dates for tree planting in their area.Desktop Version

Aug 19, 2022National Aviation Day

In the summer of 2016, an experimental solar-powered airplane called Solar Impulse 2 completed a 26,000-mile multi-stage trip around the world without using a single drop of jet fuel. The remarkable feat took longer than a year and made the slow-flying plane part of aviation history. We are remembering this seminal flight today to mark National Aviation Day, established in 1939 by President Franklin Roosevelt as a day to celebrate the advancement of flight. August 19 was chosen because it is the birthdate of Orville Wright, who in 1903, with his brother Wilbur Wright, became the first to achieve powered, controlled flight on the hills of Kitty Hawk on North Carolina"s Outer Banks.Desktop Version

Mar 14, 2024Happy Pi Day!

They say the only constant in life is change. In mathematics, however, there are many constants and today, we"re celebrating perhaps the most famous of them all: pi. Represented by the symbol π, this tasty-sounding number is the ratio of a circle"s circumference to its diameter, approximately 3.14159. Every March 14, mathematics fans across the world get baking to mark Pi Day with a pie. It began in 1988, when physicist Larry Shaw connected the date (3/14) with the first three digits of π. Today, mathematicians and enthusiasts celebrate Pi Day with pie eating and pi reciting. Did you know that when your clock strikes 1:59 today, you will be three decimal places closer to the real value of pi? Pi is everywhere, even in nature. Pictured here is a bodhi tree which has grown over an arch into the shape of the pi symbol at Wat Phra Ngam, a temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Whether you"re a math geek or just in it for the treats, Pi Day is for everyone to enjoy!Desktop Version

Oct 29, 2022Sea Slug Day

Swimming into view like an oceanic Halloween specter, today"s "sea angel" is one of about 3,000 sea slug species. Sea slugs can be found in all the oceans and seas of the world. Scientifically known as nudibranchs, sea slugs are mollusks and today is the day the world celebrates them. What, you didn"t know? Perhaps that"s because technically it"s the birthday of the premier authority on all things related to sea slugs, Terry Gosliner. Gosliner has identified nearly half of the known sea slug species in the world, has written 150 scientific papers about them, and has personally named around 350 individual species. "Everything about them just piques the imagination," he says. So, we"re saying "Happy birthday, Terry" by taking a moment to examine the sea angel.Desktop Version

Oct 20, 2023International Sloth Day

Let"s all slow down to celebrate International Sloth Day, the perfect time to take things easy. With that friendly smile, you might think this pygmy three-toed sloth is inviting you to hang out, but these animals are not easy to find. Also known as the monk sloth or dwarf sloth, the species lives exclusively on a small island off Panama"s coast, Isla Escudo de Veraguas. Pygmy three-toed sloths are much smaller than other kinds of sloths, at about 20 inches long, and they weigh less than 8 pounds. Sadly, this species is classified as critically endangered. International Sloth Day aims to raise awareness of the planet"s slowest mammal and help them to survive and thrive in the wild, at their own pace.Desktop Version

Feb 15, 2022Lantern Festival

Lunar New Year festivities last 15 days, culminating with a good party known as the Lantern Festival. Here in Chengdu, the capital of southwest China"s Sichuan province, it"s said that residents have been hosting Lantern Festival celebrations since the year 711, though the origins of the festival are believed to be more than 2,000 years old. This year"s festivities take place on February 15, with homes and businesses draped in lanterns of all shapes and sizes, often in the traditional red silk with gold trim as you see here.Desktop Version

Dec 26, 2022Boxing Day in East Yorkshire, England

The sledders in our photo are enjoying Boxing Day in England, bundled up and hurtling down a hill at Beverley Westwood Common near Black Mill in East Yorkshire. Traditionally, Boxing Day is a day off to relax after the excitement of Christmas. What"s behind the name? There are a few theories, but the most widely accepted one is that the name derives from the giving of "boxes" (of gifts) to the poor the day after Christmas. Perhaps we should all follow that example today, as we eat Christmas leftovers and listen to lingering carols. How can we give a little Christmas to those who are less fortunate?Desktop Version

Apr 17, 2023International Haiku Poetry Day

Get out your pen and paper—it"s International Haiku Poetry Day! Haikus originated in Japan as the opening segment of a larger poem called a renga. Eventually they became individual poems of their own. A traditional haiku consists of 17 phonetic units—similar to a syllable—in a 5, 7, 5 formation. Though simple, a great haiku creates a sense of beauty and a connection to nature. That connection was captured in the artwork seen here, "One Thousand Springs," an installation of 5,000 haikus suspended within a web of red threads by artist Chiharu Shiota. It was part of the 2021 Japan Festival at Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in London. Here"s some inspiration for you to write a haiku yourself:Desktop Version

Jan 20, 2025Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Today we honor the life and legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Prominent in the 1950s and 1960s, King was a Baptist minister who promoted nonviolent protest to effectuate social change. In 1963, he helped organize the March on Washington, DC, which 250,000 people attended to protest discrimination and support pending civil rights legislation. During this event, King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, imagining America free of racism and segregation. His speech is regarded as one of America"s greatest, and his leadership was instrumental in ending racial segregation of African Americans throughout many parts of the United States. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, but his life was cut short by an assassin in 1968.Desktop Version

Apr 16, 2022National Park Week begins

Only a very small percentage of Yellowstone"s total visitors see the park when it looks like this. In winter, when the park grows quiet, its hydrothermal features really stand out, like the rainbow-hued Grand Prismatic Spring in the bottom center of this image, the most photographed feature in Yellowstone.Desktop Version

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