50 years of the Endangered Species Act 28 Dec 2023

50 years of the Endangered Species Act

Today is a special milestone for our furry, scaly and feathered friends: the Endangered Species Act is turning 50. This landmark US legislation, signed into law in 1973, has been lending a helping hand to species on the brink for half a decade. The act helped inspire Britain"s own Wildlife and Countryside act of 1981. Who"s that in the spotlight? A humpback whale! Known for their haunting songs and acrobatic breaches, these gentle giants are a success story of the ESA. They were once on the edge of extinction due to whaling and entanglement in fishing gear, but thanks to conservation efforts, their population is making a comeback, from around 5,000 in 1966 to an estimate of 135,000 today.

© Paul Souders/DanitaDelimont.com

palette

Today in History

Wintry Swiss bliss
28 Dec 2024Green sea turtle
28 Dec 2025Black-and-white ruffed lemur in Madagascar

More Desktop Wallpapers:

International Nurses Day
13 Mar 2025Holi celebration in Jaipur, India
Chilling out on an ice floe
12 Jun 2024Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA
25 Apr 2024World Penguin Day
7 Mar 2025Plum blossoms, China
21 Mar 2026International Day of Forests
This ‘snow’ never melts
31 Jul 2025Kalalau Beach on the Nā Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, United States
16 Nov 2024Wadden Sea coast, Friesland, Netherlands
2 Jul 2024Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
Spanning the soft sunlight
31 May 2025Knuthöjdsmossen nature reserve, Sweden
Sunset on the Valley of the Moon
14 Jun 2025Trooping the Colour
13 Apr 2024Grand National
4 Sep 2025Grizzly bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, United States
8 Jan 2026Tufted titmouse, Massachusetts, United States
20 Jan 2024Macaroni penguins
2 Jun 2025Skipper butterfly on an Echinacea flower
25 Feb 2026Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska, United States
7 Dec 2023Verdon Gorge, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
6 Nov 2024Shi Shi Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington, United States
19 Jun 2024Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA
15 Feb 2025Kingfisher
9 Jun 2024Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park, Navarra, Spain
29 Mar 2026British Summer Time starts
Ever seen garlic bloom?
A mirror reflecting natures beauty
16 Dec 2023Guild houses of Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgium