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Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act marks 42 years
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act marks 42 years
On this day in 1980, the single largest expansion of protected lands in history doubled the size of the US National Park System. As a result, Alaska now has eight national parks, plus numerous monuments and preserves that protect more than 157 million total acres. When President Jimmy Carter signed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, the public was granted the right to appreciate stunning locations like the one in today"s photo: the braided river delta of the 51-mile-long Tlikakila River in Lake Clark National Park.Desktop Version
Saguaro cacti, Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona
Saguaro cacti, Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona
Massive succulents against a mountainous backdrop, underneath the sun-kissed Arizona sky—it"s prickly perfection. Pictured here are saguaro (pronounced "sah-wah-roh") cacti at the Ironwood Forest National Monument in the Sonoran Desert. Even if you haven"t seen one in person, when you hear the word cactus, you"re probably thinking of saguaro—tall, green, cylindrical, with arms pointing upward. From tattoos to coffee cups, you"ll find this iconic symbol of Arizona on almost everything. Though they are slow growers, these plants have been known to live over 200 years and reach enormous heights, with a 78-footer setting the record. Another cactus, known as "Grandaddy," survived in the sweltering desert for about 300 years, eventually succumbing to old age in the early 1990s. Cacti may not be for everyone, but they tend to grow on you (figuratively, of course)!Desktop Version
Skyscraper Day
Skyscraper Day
Skyscraper Day pays tribute to the towering architectural wonders that dominate our city skylines. Observed on September 3, it also marks the birthday of Louis Henry Sullivan, a pioneer of modern architecture who is often called the "father of skyscrapers." Found in the world"s biggest cities, skyscrapers serve as symbols of progress, ambition, and reaching new heights. Manhattan, the dense, vibrant heart of New York City, boasts a mesmerizing skyline with an array of iconic skyscrapers. These structures, like the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, and the Chrysler Building, define the city"s architectural and cultural legacy and captivate millions of visitors every year.Desktop Version
1934 Labor Day parade, Gastonia, North Carolina
1934 Labor Day parade, Gastonia, North Carolina
Our historical Labor Day photo shows striking textile workers taking to the streets of Gastonia, North Carolina, voicing their grievances and seeking support for their cause. By the time of this 1934 strike, the textile industry had been struggling for years to keep pace with the economic times, and workers were struggling as their wages were cut while their workloads increased. Things came to a head after the National Industrial Recovery Act became law in 1933, leading to the formation of the Textile Industry Committee meant to represent the interests of business owners, consumers, and workers—but this only led to shortened workweeks, effectively reducing wages by 25%. Workers rushed to join the United Textile Workers union to get their voices heard and demand improved conditions.Desktop Version
Ring of fire solar eclipse
Ring of fire solar eclipse
Sky gazers have been counting down to today: a "ring of fire" annular solar eclipse is here to darken the skies over the Americas! Solar eclipses happen when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, casting parts of Earth into shadow. In an annular solar eclipse, a halo effect is created when the moon blocks out most but not all, of the sun"s light. An annulus—or ring—of light remains visible. Seen here from Doha, Qatar, in 2019, the phenomenon will appear today over the United States—traveling from Oregon to Texas before continuing to Central America and ending in South America. While the "ring of fire" is visible only in certain areas, partial eclipses will grace parts of all 50 states.Desktop Version
La Brecha de Rolando (Rolands Breach), Spain
La Brecha de Rolando (Rolands Breach), Spain
High up in the Pyrenees, there is a gap in the mountains. More than 300 feet tall and 131 feet across, La Brecha de Rolando (Roland"s Breach), featured here today, is a sight to behold. But who was Roland? Count Roland was a Frankish military leader during Charlemagne"s reign in the 8th century. Legend has it that, after being defeated in battle, Roland cut a gap in the mountains—either to destroy his sword or to catch one last glimpse of France.Desktop Version
Sweetheart Abbey, Scotland
Sweetheart Abbey, Scotland
They say Paris is the City of Love but there"s a lesser-known place where love is the whole reason it even exists. We"re in a Scottish village now known as New Abbey, about 8 miles south of Dumfries. We"ve stepped inside the ruins of Sweetheart Abbey, a 13th-century testament to the love between a husband and wife. Founded in 1273 by "lady of substance" Dervorguilla of Galloway, the abbey was constructed solely to commemorate her love for English nobleman John de Balliol upon his death in 1268.Desktop Version
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Today we celebrate the birthday of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, which boasts 750-foot (and higher) sand dunes that cover more than 30 square miles. But the towering hills of sand—the tallest in North America—are just one feature of an eye-popping Colorado landscape that includes conifer forests, alpine lakes, and wetlands. The 150,000-acre park and preserve even encompasses stretches of tundra at the higher elevations, where it edges up against the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.Desktop Version
Venice Skatepark, Los Angeles, California
Venice Skatepark, Los Angeles, California
Welcome to the concrete waves of Venice Beach, California, a skateboarder"s paradise. Built next to the beach town"s sun-kissed shores, Venice Skatepark stands as a testament to the history of skateboarding in the state.Desktop Version
Sibiu Christmas market, Romania
Sibiu Christmas market, Romania
As the winter chill sets in, the city of Sibiu transforms into a dazzling holiday wonderland as it hosts one of Romania"s most popular Christmas markets. The Sibiu Christmas Market, known in Romanian as Târgul de Crăciun din Sibiu, is held in the central square from the end of November until early January. Sparkling strings of lights drape across the square, seen in today"s image, creating a canopy that bathes the cobblestone streets in a warm, festive glow. There also stands a beautifully lit Christmas tree, surrounded by charming wooden huts selling everything from handcrafted ornaments to locally made treats like cozonac, a traditional Romanian sweet bread; vin fiert, an aromatic mulled wine; and covrigi, a type of pretzel served warm and sprinkled with salt.Desktop Version
Glass footbridge in Zhangjiajie, China
Glass footbridge in Zhangjiajie, China
Just 13 days after the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge opened in 2016 in Hunan, China, it was forced to close. Not because it was faulty but because the attendance rates far exceeded capacity. Built to hold 800 people safely at any given time, daily attendance was expected to be around 8,000. When 80,000 visitors showed up each day after it opened, authorities needed some time to reevaluate what exactly they had. Parking, ticketing, and customer service were boosted before the bridge reopened.Desktop Version
The Guggenheim Bilbao turns 25
The Guggenheim Bilbao turns 25
Considered one of the world"s most important architectural works of the past few decades, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao celebrates its 25th anniversary today. To commemorate the event, the museum has unveiled a slogan: "Art Inspires Future." The museum has also released a special edition of its logo in which the characteristic Gs of the Guggenheim brand move like gears to shape the number 25. Perhaps they"ll serve cake as well?Desktop Version
Flower of Life symbol drawn in snow
Flower of Life symbol drawn in snow
German artist Michael Uy created this "Flower of Life" geometric pattern in the snow in Brandenburg. Preparations began about a week before the snow"s arrival, when Uy hammered 19 wooden posts into a field, carefully measuring the space between each post. After the snowfall, he walked near-perfect circles around all 19 pillars, using a string to keep an equal distance from the posts. The artist then used a broom to further remove the snow from his footprints and reveal the lines of the flower nearly 200 feet across. Uy"s piece was fully visible only when the sun was low. And only until the next snow or warm day. Luckily, a drone was dispatched to snap this photograph.Desktop Version
Russell lupines, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
Russell lupines, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
Welcome to Lake Tekapo, on New Zealand"s South Island, where the colorful spikes of flowering Russell lupines transform the landscape each November and December. The plants" blooming heads, made up of clusters of pea-like flowers, can reach up to 60 inches. While photographers flock here to capture the varied hues of purple, blue, and yellow, these striking plants are controversial. Native to North America, they are considered an invasive species here, growing in dense stands and boxing out other flora. While these plants might be appealing to tourists, they can create a negative imbalance in the region"s ecosystem.Desktop Version
Navajo Bridge in Marble Canyon
Navajo Bridge in Marble Canyon
In the late 1800s, pioneers in Utah who wanted to expand their settlements south into Arizona were confronted by 600 miles of deep canyons carved by the Colorado River. By 1873 a ferry was established to cross the Colorado at the mouth of Glen Canyon—Lees Ferry, as it was called, remained vital to settlers in the area for more than 50 years, until authorities decided a bridge would provide more reliable and safer crossing. Construction began in 1927 of a span across the 834-foot gap of Marble Canyon, at the head of the Grand Canyon. When Grand Canyon Bridge opened to traffic in 1929 it was hailed as a "modern marvel" and "the biggest news in Southwest history."Desktop Version
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico
These circular walls belong to Pueblo Bonito, one of the biggest great homes in Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico. Between around 850 CE and 1250 CE, Chaco Canyon became a major cultural center for the Ancestral Puebloans, who lived in what is now known as the Four Corners region.Desktop Version
Daintree Rainforest and Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia
Daintree Rainforest and Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia
Welcome to a land where greenery meets the endless blue. On the North Queensland coast of Australia, encircled by dense foliage, is Noah Beach. A fascinating blend of two ecosystems, here the Daintree Rainforest seamlessly meets the azure waters of the Coral Sea. This secluded area of the Daintree National Park boasts a stretch of soft, golden sands while elsewhere there are towering trees, lush ferns, and other plant species unique to the area. The Daintree is believed to have been around for up to 180 million years, making it the oldest tropical rainforest in the world. It is also Australia"s largest uninterrupted stretch of tropical rainforest and home to rare species like Bennett"s tree-kangaroo, found nowhere else on our planet.Desktop Version
Brown bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Brown bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Summer up north belongs to the bears. When the sun reigns, so do the brown bears of Alaska—like this mother and cub in Katmai National Park and Preserve, about 260 miles southwest of Anchorage. Also known as grizzly bears in Alaska, the brown bears pack a year of living into the summer months, foraging, feasting, frolicking, fighting, and mating under skies of nearly perpetual daylight.Desktop Version
Astronomy Day
Astronomy Day
In one of the darkest places on Earth there"s a cluster of telescopes that examine the heavens each night, sending detailed information about the celestial bodies they observe to astronomers across the planet. Far from any population centers or light pollution, the Atacama Desert is the world"s driest nonpolar desert. It"s the perfect place for La Silla Observatory, one of the largest observatories in the Southern Hemisphere, and the first to be used by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), a research organization made up of astronomers from 16 European nations. The first ESO telescope at the La Silla site in Chile began operating in 1966.Desktop Version
Berlin Festival of Lights
Berlin Festival of Lights
The double-decker Oberbaum Bridge is one of Berlin"s most beloved and iconic landmarks. For centuries the Oberbaum Bridge connected the two districts of Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg until they were separated by the Berlin Wall from 1961 to 1989. The first bridge at this spot was built in the 1700s, although the current road-and-rail Oberbaum was constructed at the end of the 19th century.Desktop Version
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Carved by time, wind, and water, Capitol Reef National Park showcases rust-hued cliffs and the natural beauty of the American West. The park was named after a series of Navajo sandstone domes said to resemble the US Capitol Building and the Waterpocket Fold, a huge ridge in the Earth"s crust, which was referred to as a reef by prospectors. This 100-mile-long monocline—a step-like fold—is thought to have formed around 50 to 70 million years ago, and is home to towering cliffs, narrow canyons, and colorful rock formations. Capitol Reef was established as a national monument in 1937 and was designated a national park on December 18, 1971.Desktop Version
Manatee Awareness Month
Manatee Awareness Month
Today we"re celebrating the lovely manatee! These marvelous marine mammals have a fascinating history that spans millions of years. They are related to elephants and their ancestors can be traced back to the Eocene era (about 56 to 33.9 million years ago), making them one of the oldest mammals on Earth. These slow-moving herbivores have, over time, adapted to life in warm, coastal waters.Desktop Version
Marshland, Gloucester, MA
Marshland, Gloucester, MA
Lit by bright New England sunshine, the salt-tolerant grass growing here really stands out against the turquoise sea water lapping against it. Salt marshes are important coastal wetlands that protect shorelines from erosion, are major contributors to the aquatic food web, and provide nurseries for birds, fish, and other wildlife.Desktop Version
Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo
Many celebrations of Cinco de Mayo owe a debt to these rolling fields of blue agave, or agave azul, the source material required to make genuine tequila. The distilled spirit is to Mexico what Scotch whisky is to Scotland and sake to Japan. Tequila is also the base ingredient in the beloved margarita cocktail certain to be served in abundance today.Desktop Version
Río Arazas in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain
Río Arazas in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain
Striking in any season, but particularly beautiful in years when the warmth of summer stretches into fall, the Pyrenees have served as a natural border between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe since the earliest civilizations took root there. Located in the center of the range, Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park was created in 1918 and expanded in 1982. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Desktop Version