Our picture of the day takes us to the Swiss village of Lauterbrunnen, where the Staubbach Falls shimmers in the distance beyond a quiet alpine valley. This is the landscape a young traveler, J.R.R. Tolkien, crossed during a hiking trip in 1911, long before he became the storyteller behind "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit." Its soaring cliffs, silver waterfalls, and crisp mountain air left a lasting impression and are believed to have inspired his vision of Rivendell, the elven refuge hidden deep in Middle-earth.
J.R.R. Tolkien Day
Today in History
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Sibiu Christmas market, Romania
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Elephant Rock, Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
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Yi Peng lantern festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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Daylight saving time begins
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Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand
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Night view of the RMS Queen Mary, Long Beach, California
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Pamukkale, Turkey
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International Sloth Day
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In Apia Harbor for Samoan Independence Day
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Waiānapanapa State Park, Maui, Hawaii
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National Mushroom Month
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Tombeau du Géant in Bouillon, Belgium
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Petroglyphs near Fruita in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
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Gifford Pinchot National Forest
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A toast to California!
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Wind horses carry wishes for a new year
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A summertime light show
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National Museum of African American History and Culture
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A rock in a wild place
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International Rock Day
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Tolkien Reading Day
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SantaPark, Lapland, Finland
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Pantaleu
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A festival of colors
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Illuminated Uluru
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Hemakuta Hill, Hampi, India
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Fallow deer, Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England
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Noctilucent clouds
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World Chocolate Day
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Infant Sumatran orangutan, Indonesia
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

