In praise of the old…the very old Oct 14, 2020

In praise of the old…the very old

What better way to honor National Fossil Day than with this amazing dragonfly! It"s rare to find one in such exquisite condition, but this one was discovered in Solnhofen, Germany, where limestone deposits preserved some of the most detailed fossils ever found—including the birdlike dinosaur called Archaeopteryx. This dragonfly was preserved in the Solnhofen limestone about 150 million years ago in the Jurassic Period. It measures about 5.5 inches across.

© Ingo Arndt/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Oct 14, 2018Gone ‘lightseeing’ in Berlin
Oct 14, 2019Canadian Thanksgiving
Oct 14, 2021Happy birthday, Saguaro National Park
Oct 14, 2022Río Arazas in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain
Oct 14, 2023Ring of fire solar eclipse
Oct 14, 2024Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day
Oct 14, 2025Village of Oia in Santorini, Greece

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Feb 23, 2020An icy extravaganza
Oct 5, 2018Is that a smile?
Sep 11, 2024Patriot Day
Nov 3, 2023World Jellyfish Day
Jan 24, 2021These patterns tell a story
Sep 20, 2018May we have this dance?
Oct 25, 2023Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah
Aug 4, 2022Satla marshland in Bangladesh
Aug 6, 2024Molokini Crater, Maui, Hawaii
Apr 25, 2019Here comes summer
Nov 11, 2025Marine Corps War Memorial, Arlington, Virginia
Dec 27, 2018A wonderland in winter
Jul 2, 2018Keep watching the skies
Jul 4, 2024Independence Day
Oct 20, 2018Moody skies over Valletta
May 21, 2020A visionary artist paints his own garden view
May 5, 2020A courtyard scene from Spain
Jul 6, 2021The most Instagrammable bird?
Sep 2, 2025Camel thorn trees, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia
Dec 19, 2018Hezké svátky
Jan 25, 2021Struck by Southwestern beauty
Sep 20, 2025Oktoberfest begins!
Aug 7, 2023National Lighthouse Day
Jun 9, 2018Yarn bombing in the village of Gurnard, England
Feb 26, 2026Grand Canyon National Park anniversary
Aug 25, 2024National Park Service Founders Day
Apr 28, 2021Coming home to roost
Dec 13, 2025Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California
May 26, 2023Wat Sri Sawai in Sukhothai Historical Park, Thailand
Jun 17, 2022Grand Teton National Park