Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, United States 24 Sep 2025

Somewhere in the wide prairies of northeastern Wyoming, United States, stands Devils Tower, a stone formation that rises from the open plains. Once called Bear Lodge, the butte gained its current name during an 1875 expedition led by Colonel Richard Irving Dodge, possibly after an interpreter mistranslated a Native phrase as "Bad God"s Tower." The missing apostrophe in its official title follows standard geographic naming conventions—hence, the signs read "Devils Tower." In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed it the nation"s first national monument; a milestone whose anniversary falls today.

© Laura Hedien/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Starry, starry night
24 Sep 2023World Rivers Day
24 Sep 2024Skaftafell, Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland

More Desktop Wallpapers:

6 Jul 2025Tour de France
10 Feb 2024South Downs Dark Skies Festival
Blending in nicely
13 Feb 2026Third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge connecting Laos and Thailand
The ‘eighth wonder’?
24 Jul 2024Cousins Day
History awaits atop the hill
8 Oct 2025World Octopus Day
14 Oct 2025Village of Oia in Santorini, Greece
Nap your worries away
4 Oct 2025World Space Week
28 Dec 2024Green sea turtle
2 Mar 2025Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, Australia
So good, they built it twice
11 Sep 2025Gdańsk on the banks of the Motława river, Poland
23 Sep 2025Keel-billed toucan, Costa Rica
9 Apr 2025Naxos, Cyclades, Greece
7 Mar 2025Plum blossoms, China
2 Apr 2025Sandstone formations in the badlands near Caineville, Utah, United States
5 May 2024Happy Cinco de Mayo!
The glowing winter
Gravity-defying wonders of the world
Strong sibling bonds
Panoramic Penzance
13 Feb 2025Lake Tyrrell, Victoria, Australia
13 Oct 2024Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain
Aug 20, 2023International Lighthouse Weekend
Farewell Ma’am
One on land, a million in space
Hangin around