Phone Wallpaper - Bing Wallpaper Gallery

Jun 28, 2018A unique perspective from Italy’s ‘golden sands’

This is a photo–not a painting–of a beach in Lignano Sabbiadoro (Sabbiadoro roughly translates as ‘golden sand’ in Italian). The town and commune is a popular summer getaway in northern Italy, on the Adriatic Sea coast. And no, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you—the optical illusion was intentional. It’s a composite image created by combining multiple exposures. We hope it takes you to a vacation state of mind, even if you can’t get to an actual beach this summer.Desktop Version

Jun 27, 2018In search of roadside attractions on ‘America’s Highway’

The lure of Route 66 isn’t extinct here in Holbrook, Arizona, where you can still spy giant concrete dinosaurs, kitschy truck stops, and teepee-shaped motel rooms that were constructed during the road’s heyday. Route 66 was established in the 1920s and within the next few decades, as millions of Americans acquired their first automobiles, it became a destination unto itself, even inspiring a hit song, ‘(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66,’ by Bobby Troup. In 1985 the highway was decommissioned--it had been replaced by the new Interstate Highway System. But for the adventurous road-tripper, there’s still plenty of the old highway to explore.Desktop Version

Jun 26, 2018Celebrating Madagascar on its Independence Day

Who needs fireworks when you have a starry view like this? June 26 is Independence Day in Madagascar, marking the date in 1960 when the island country off the coast of East Africa broke free from France’s rule. In honor of the occasion, we’re featuring the baobab tree, Madagascar’s national tree, known for its oversized trunk. Several species of the baobab are endemic to Madagascar–which isn’t surprising, as about 90 percent of the plants and animals here are found nowhere else on Earth.Desktop Version

Jun 25, 2018Tracking ships on the Day of the Seafarer

June 25 is the Day of the Seafarer, a global event highlighting how much we rely on the maritime industry. Turns out, it’s a whole lot, as ships transport more than 80 percent of global trade. In honor of this occasion, we’re showing a NASA satellite view of ship tracks over the Pacific. And what are ship tracks, you ask? They’re clouds that form around particles in ship exhaust when it hits the damp ocean air. These clouds often stretch in narrow paths as in this image, reflecting ships’ courses. To the seafarers out there (1.5 million, according to the International Maritime Organization), we wish you smooth sailing and a good day at sea.Desktop Version

Jun 24, 2018The Twin Cities celebrate Pride

June is Pride month, and cities across the nation are celebrating the LGBTQ community. Here in Minneapolis, the Interstate 35W Bridge is lit up with rainbow colors—a longtime symbol of gay pride. The rainbow flag first debuted 40 years ago, in 1978, after San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk suggested that designer Gilbert Baker create a flag for the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. Baker, who died last year, once said he was inspired by rainbows because they’re part of nature, and representative of everyone.Desktop Version

Jun 23, 2018Commemorating peace in Antarctica

We feel chilly just looking at this image of the Europa sailing the Penola Strait, near the Antarctic Peninsula. This three-masted barque may resemble polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated ship Endurance, which was lost to the ice in an expedition to the South Pole in 1915. But the Europa is a modern, refitted lightship that now sails the world with paying passengers and makes annual trips to Antarctica.Desktop Version

Jun 22, 2018Celebrating Take Your Dog to Work Day

If every dog has its day, today may just be yours. Even if you can’t bring your dog to the office today, it’s the perfect time to paws and reflect on the benefits they bring to our lives. Proponents of Take Your Dog to Work Day, now in its 20th year, say canine companions reduce stress in the workplace and make for cheerful employees. Sounds like a win-win—now can you fetch me a coffee and a beagle? (Sorry, we couldn’t resist.)Desktop Version

Jun 21, 2018Inhale and exhale, it’s Yoga Day

You may not be able to join a massive yoga session at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, but you can celebrate both the summer solstice today, and Yoga Day, by trying a sun salutation or two on your own. Yoga not your thing? No problem. It’s still solstice, and in most of the Northern Hemisphere, that’s considered the first official day of summer, and that’s reason enough to celebrate. As for the yoga aficionados reading this, please step to the front of your mat...Desktop Version

Jun 20, 2018Today is World Refugee Day

In marking World Refugee Day, which is observed on June 20th, the United Nations notes that on any given day thousands of families are fleeing from their homes to escape violence. The map we’re showing represents the movements of these refugees around the globe from 2000 to 2016. Each orange or red dot represents 17 refugees. The UN established World Refugee Day to increase awareness among all people that those fleeing war and oppression are not a burden, but a responsibility for all of us. It’s an occasion to demonstrate support for the millions forced to flee.Desktop Version

Jun 19, 2018Dancers perform ‘Revelations’

To observe Juneteenth, the holiday that marks the end of slavery in the US, we’re with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The company’s dancers are performing Ailey’s seminal 1960 work ‘Revelations,’ which depicts, in 36 minutes of modern dance, the long arc of history for African Americans, from slavery to freedom and beyond. It’s still performed frequently by the company—this photo was taken in 2014. Join us in our Juneteenth celebration.Desktop Version

Jun 18, 2018Here, fishy!

Are you celebrating Go Fishing Day with us? This fly fisher is in Colorado’s San Miguel River, which flows from the alpine hills of the Uncompahgre Plateau to the desert flats in the southwestern part of the state. The best part about Go Fishing Day? If you don’t bring home dinner, you get to make up a story about the size of the one that got away.Desktop Version

Jun 17, 2018Papa was a flightless bird

Why ostriches on Father’s Day? Because male ostriches are more involved in the care and rearing of their young than many other wild animals. At night, the expectant ostrich dad sits on the eggs in the nest, his black plumage camouflaging him from predators. When the chicks hatch, papa ostrich teaches them how to forage for food and is their primary protector. Way to go, ostrich dad! We hope at least one of those baby ostriches remembers to call you today.Desktop Version

Jun 16, 2018Drop in on International Surfing Day

For International Surfing Day we’re in Tenerife, in Spain’s Canary Islands, to catch some waves. Look on the left side of our photo and you’ll see a surfer jockeying for the right spot on that wave. If you can’t get out and celebrate this day by riding a swell, perhaps it’s time for a surf movie or some surf music? There’s a whole culture around the sport that doesn’t even require your getting wet.Desktop Version

Jun 15, 2018Ready for takeoff

Anybody with a camera can celebrate Nature Photography Day with us today. That element of inclusion is one of the main points of this observance. Chances are your mobile device has a camera, so you’re already equipped to participate. And even if you live in the deepest reaches of the urban jungle, somewhere near you is a place where you can get a dose of nature—a park, for example, or even the planter box on your fire escape. Go to that spot with your camera, and start snapping photos. They don’t have to be works of art. It can be an exercise in paying attention to the natural world, and maybe—just maybe—you’ll end up with something like this shot of a seven-spot ladybug, wings unleashed and about to take flight. Have fun!Desktop Version

Jun 14, 2018Celebrating Flag Day: ‘O long may it wave’

June 14 is Flag Day, which commemorates the official adoption of the American flag in 1777. Our nation’s first flag had 13 stars and 13 red and white stripes to represent the original 13 colonies that broke from British rule. The stars were arranged on a blue background to represent a ‘new constellation.’ In 1795, as Vermont and Kentucky joined the Union, two more stars and two stripes were added. It was this version that served as muse to poet Francis Scott Key, who penned the poem that would later serve as the lyrics for ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’ He wrote the words after watching the flag fly over the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. The flags in our image are rippling over Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey.Desktop Version

Jun 12, 2018Celebrating Helsinki’s birthday at the Kiasma Museum

Greetings from Helsinki, the capital of the world’s happiest country. Edgy-looking sites like the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art—shown here—sure make the city look young for its 468 years. This year Helsinki has twice the reason to celebrate, as Finland received a #1 ranking in the 2018 World Happiness Report, a UN publication that ranks countries based on characteristics like income, health, freedom, and social support.Desktop Version

Jun 11, 2018A Great view from above

At 132,974 square miles, the Great Barrier Reef is about half the size of Texas, a statistic that becomes even more amazing when you learn the reef was created by teeny, tiny marine invertebrates. Coral reefs are formed when colonies of coral polyps secrete hard exoskeletons made of calcium carbonate, slowly building an underwater home that supports marine life of all shapes and sizes. That’s a feat worth protecting.Desktop Version

Jun 10, 2018Travel Sunday: Sintra, Portugal

Perched atop a hill overlooking the city of Sintra, Pena Palace is one of Portugal’s most iconic national monuments, and would be a romantic setting to celebrate Portugal’s National Day today. The June 10 holiday commemorates the death of Luís de Camões, a literary icon in Portugal who is revered for his adventurous spirit. It’s said the one-eyed poet (he lost the other eye in a fight) saved his most famous work—titled "Os Lusíadas"—from destruction during a shipwreck by holding the manuscript above water while he swam with one arm.Desktop Version

Jun 9, 2018Yarn bombing in the village of Gurnard, England

Yarn bombing–also called guerilla knitting, yarnstorming, or kniffiti–brings a warm and fuzzy bent to modern street art. Artists use knitted materials to cover outdoor fixtures such as lamp posts, park benches, and manhole covers–often anonymously. This knitted ‘fungus’ is on a tree in Gurnard, a village on the Isle of Wight.Desktop Version

Jun 8, 2018Green sea turtle on World Oceans Day

World Oceans Day takes us to the warm waters off Maui, home to this green sea turtle and many other species that rely on healthy oceans. The annual celebration, recognized by the UN, is an effort to raise awareness about ocean conservation with events around the world, including here in Hawaii. This year’s theme is preventing plastic pollution. Plastics pose a serious threat to marine animals, including sea turtles, which are known to ingest them and become seriously injured or killed. Here’s an easy way to help: Reduce, reuse, and recycle.Desktop Version

Jun 7, 2018Humpbacks return to the Inside Passage

Humpback whales are found in virtually all the world’s oceans, though they don’t swim in the extra-cold waters of the Arctic. This pod is breaching the surface of Lynn Canal in the Alaska portion of the Inside Passage, where the whales return in summer for the feeding season after sensibly wintering in warmer tropical waters.Desktop Version

Jun 6, 2018Feature Attraction: 85 years at the drive-in

Our photo today shows patrons driving through the box office at the Fly-In Drive-In Theater in Wall Township, New Jersey, in 1948. Drive-in movie theaters were a growing trend at the time, so the owners of this spot took advantage of the nearby airstrip and added room for 15 small planes to taxi in and watch the show alongside the autos.Desktop Version

Jun 5, 2018Up, up, and away for Hot Air Balloon Day

Really, there’s only one way to celebrate Hot Air Balloon Day properly. But if you can’t catch a ride in a basket under a giant balloon today, know that the idea dates back at least to 3rd-century China, where paper lanterns were used as military signals. Fast forward to 18th-century France, where two paper-making brothers, the Montgolfiers, launched unmanned hot air balloons. Then, to great fanfare, they tried sending up a sheep, duck, and chicken, and finally, Étienne Montgolfier took a ride. Designs have improved since then, resulting in the standard hot air balloon seen here.Desktop Version

Jun 4, 2018Lighting it up for Vivid Sydney

It’s winter in Australia, and the residents of Sydney fend off the winter gloom with a citywide festival. The wild light shows of Vivid Sydney encourage people to explore the city and see it in a new light. (Sorry. That had to happen.) Our photo shows the interior of "PJ the Port Jackson Shark," a light sculpture at the Taronga Zoo. It allows visitors to walk into the mouth of the ‘shark.’Desktop Version

Jun 3, 2018Travel Sunday: Liverpool

We approach Liverpool, our Travel Sunday destination, by the River Mersey. And to hear natives of Liverpool tell it, the Mersey is the only river that matters. The Mersey helped build Liverpool into a powerful port city during the 19th century as industrialization really took hold. Today, you may know Liverpool by some of the famous musicians—Beatles, cough—that got their start in a city once called ‘the New York of Europe.’Desktop Version

Bing wallpaper for mobile