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Eurasian red squirrel in Northumberland, England
Eurasian red squirrel in Northumberland, England
Who could resist that squishy face? A Eurasian red squirrel perches on a snowy pine branch, paws clutching a pine cone like it"s the last snack on Earth. These little acrobats stay busy collecting nuts, seeds, and fungi—feasting on fresh finds in summer and on stored cones through winter.Desktop Version
Fibonacci Day
Fibonacci Day
Look closely at this ammonite fossil. Its swirling shell, once home to a prehistoric sea creature, holds a mathematical secret—a spiral pattern. Each new chamber is proportionally larger than the previous one, maintaining a consistent growth ratio, often associated with the Fibonacci sequence.Desktop Version
Pearl Harbor Day
Pearl Harbor Day
At 7:55 AM on December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft appeared over Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the course of history changed. In less than two hours, 19 ships were sunk or damaged, nearly 200 aircraft destroyed, and 2,403 Americans lost their lives. The battleship USS Arizona suffered the most devastating hit: a bomb struck its forward deck, igniting ammunition below and sending the ship to the harbor floor. The surprise assault crippled the US Pacific Fleet and ended America"s neutrality in World War II. The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt told Congress it was "a date which will live in infamy," and the US entered the war.Desktop Version
International Cheetah Day
International Cheetah Day
High atop a termite mound in the Maasai Mara National Reserve—a protected savanna in southwestern Kenya—a cheetah scans the plains. Its sleek body can reach speeds of up to 70 mph, making it the fastest land mammal on Earth. Long legs and a flexible spine allow incredible acceleration, while its strong tail helps maintain balance during high-speed chases. Today is International Cheetah Day—an event that couldn"t have arrived any quicker. With fewer than 7,100 individuals left in the wild, these are among Africa"s most vulnerable big cats.Desktop Version
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween!
Tonight, Halloween casts its spell—and only a few places on Earth carry a mystery quite like Bran Castle in Romania. The fortress was built in the 14th century and has withstood wars, monarchs, and shifting empires. But here, legends speak louder than history. Perched between the regions of Transylvania—renowned for its chilling tales—and Wallachia, once ruled by Vlad III Dracula, the castle evokes a haunting legacy. Vlad"s ruthless reputation inspired Bram Stoker"s 1897 Gothic novel "Dracula." Though the story is not set at Bran Castle, its looming form and persistent rumors of Vlad"s presence blur fact and legend, forever linking it to one of humanity"s most enduring tales.Desktop Version
World Hello Day
World Hello Day
This harbor seal, photographed at Robert Moses State Park on Long Island, New York, seems to be onto something—spreading good vibes, one wave at a time. That"s exactly the spirit of World Hello Day, celebrated every November 21. This cheerful observance began in 1973 when two American brothers, Brian and Michael McCormack, launched it as a peaceful response to global tensions. They mailed 1,360 letters in seven languages to world leaders, inviting them to join the first celebration. Their message was simple yet powerful: personal communication can help preserve peace. Today, people in more than 180 countries participate.Desktop Version
Polar Bear Week
Polar Bear Week
What"s drawing scientists, travelers, and cameras to Manitoba, Canada, this week? Polar Bear Week is here, and it"s more than a date on the calendar. For over a decade, Polar Bears International—a non-profit organization—has invited people to stream live cams and follow daily updates as the bears head to Hudson Bay. It"s a week of learning and a call to protect a fragile ecosystem.Desktop Version
Celebrating Yi Peng
Celebrating Yi Peng
What would you wish for if a single lantern could carry your heart"s desire skyward? Tonight, in northern Thailand, the Yi Peng festival offers that chance. This centuries-old Lanna tradition celebrates the 12th lunar month with glowing paper lanterns—khom loi—that are released to honor the Buddha. Each lantern is believed to carry away misfortune and light the way toward a brighter future. Children steady the lantern frames, elders whisper blessings, and the crowd pauses as hundreds of lights drift higher than the trees. Farther south, the same full moon watches over Loy Krathong, a sister festival, where candlelit rafts glide across the water.Desktop Version
Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands
Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands
Picture 21 square miles of open land, wildlife on the move, and a stag flaunting its crown of antlers. In 1909, husband and wife Anton Kröller and Helene Kröller-Müller began building a private estate in Gelderland, Netherlands—what we now know as De Hoge Veluwe National Park. Their vision? To merge art and nature. They brought it to life by placing artwork within the landscape, like "Three Upright Motives" by English sculptor Henry Moore in the Pampelse Zand and the President Steyn stone bench by Belgian architect Henry van de Velde, among others.Desktop Version
Male hooded merganser, Oregon
Male hooded merganser, Oregon
Each fall, Oregon"s quiet waterways become seasonal waypoints for hooded mergansers—small diving ducks native to North America. They are agile divers, plunging beneath the surface to catch fish and other prey. Males, known as drakes, stand out with their fan-shaped white crests, dark heads, and chestnut-brown sides, while females, called hens, are brownish gray with smaller crests. Oregon"s lakes and wetlands provide sheltered feeding grounds as these birds migrate or winter across the continent.Desktop Version
Martimoaapa Mire Reserve, Finland
Martimoaapa Mire Reserve, Finland
Today, we step into the Martimoaapa Mire Reserve in Finland, where wide, cold-climate wetlands and peatlands stretch across a landscape shaped over thousands of years. This reserve is more than just mires—it carries layers of history. During Finland"s Prohibition era (1919–1932), smugglers hauled sacks of liquor from Sweden across these bogs, following a "spirits" route that passed through Martimoaapa. Parts of that path can still be traced today. Imagine trekking with a heavy pack over soggy ground—would you have made it?Desktop Version
National Llama Day
National Llama Day
If llamas are the laid-back stars of the Andes, their cousins, the guanacos, are the free spirits of Patagonia. And what better day to give them the spotlight than National Llama Day? Guanacos are part of the same camelid family as llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas. But unlike their domesticated relatives, they keep things wild. Found mainly in Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, they"re built for life at high altitude. Their thick coats help them handle chilly winds, while their padded feet give them the grip to trek across rocky terrain that would make even mountain goats nervous.Desktop Version
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving!
The wild turkey"s iridescent plumage, seen here at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, isn"t just striking—it carries the shimmer of history. Today is Thanksgiving, when many Americans gather around the table, enjoying roast turkey stuffed with savory bread dressing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Football games hum in the background, parades march down city streets, and kitchens buzz with the familiar aromas of holiday cooking.Desktop Version
Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market
Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market
They"ve got long beards, red hats, and a knack for stealing a tad bit of Santa"s thunder every Christmas. Meet the gnome—known as "tomte" in Sweden and "nisse" in Norway—whose traditions vary across regions. Rooted in Scandinavian folklore, these tiny guardians watch over homes and farms, keeping families safe through long, dark winters. But there"s a catch: treat them kindly, or they may play tricks. A warm bowl of porridge on Christmas Eve is their favorite reward. Said to bring luck and laughter, they might even befriend your garden gnomes, since they often resemble them.Desktop Version
International Mountain Day
International Mountain Day
Every December 11, we celebrate International Mountain Day, honoring the majestic peaks that shape our planet and the glaciers that support life. From the rolling Alps to the towering Himalayas, mountains cover nearly a quarter of Earth"s land and host 15% of the world"s population and nearly half of its biodiversity hotspots. Mount Everest, the world"s highest peak at over 29,000 feet, stands as a symbol of human aspiration and natural beauty. Its glaciers feed rivers sustaining millions, showing that mountains are more than scenery—they are lifelines.Desktop Version
Thick-billed raven, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia
Thick-billed raven, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia
Perched high in the mountains of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia, the thick-billed raven holds the title of the world"s largest raven. At nearly 28 inches in length and weighing more than 3 pounds, it is about a quarter heavier than the common raven. Its enormous, arched bill—pale at the base and close to 3.5 inches long—is the largest among perching birds. These ravens live mostly between 5,000 and 11,200 feet above sea level, found across farmland, rocky cliffs, and even rooftops in mountain towns.Desktop Version
National Poinsettia Day
National Poinsettia Day
Some plants simply sit quietly on windowsills. The poinsettia? It demands the spotlight. Bright, bold, and as red as Rudolph"s nose, this December diva even has its own holiday—National Poinsettia Day, celebrated on December 12. Prior to becoming a popular Christmas decoration, this shrub had quite a journey. Long before it appeared in living rooms, it grew wild in Mexico, where the Aztecs used it for dyes and medicine. Then, in the 1820s, US diplomat Joel Roberts Poinsett spotted the plant, fell for its charm, and sent it home. The rest, as they say, is history—and botany.Desktop Version
International Sloth Day
International Sloth Day
How good would it feel if you could just hang out and do absolutely nothing all day? That"s exactly what sloths do, and today, we celebrate them. International Sloth Day honors these unhurried creatures and reminds us that life doesn"t always need to be rushed. Sloths are tree-dwelling mammals native to Central and South America. Their deliberate movements conserve energy, avoid predators, and even allow algae to grow on their fur, creating green camouflage among the canopy. Hoffmann"s two-toed sloth, pictured here, is a prime example of the slow-paced lifestyle typical of all sloths. It spends most of its time in the trees, occasionally descending to the ground to move to a new one.Desktop Version
Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico
Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico
Every December, as morning unfolds, a chorus of rattling calls fills the marshes of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. This 57,000-acre sanctuary in central New Mexico prepares to stage one of nature"s most stirring performances as sandhill cranes return from their seasonal journey. Soon, tens of thousands of snow geese and other migratory birds join the scene, filling the sky with movement and sound.Desktop Version
Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
Ever heard coins clinking louder than applause? That"s the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy, for you—a spot where history, hope, and selfie sticks collide. Completed in 1762, it marks the endpoint of one of ancient Rome"s earliest aqueducts, the Aqua Virgo, which still supplies water today. The name "Trevi" comes from Tre Vie—"three roads"—signifying the junction where it stands. Designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and finished by Giuseppe Pannini, this 86-foot marvel is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous in the world. Its sculptures show Oceanus, the god of the sea, surrounded by Tritons and horses.Desktop Version
Peña Roya beech forest, Moncayo Natural Park, Aragon, Spain
Peña Roya beech forest, Moncayo Natural Park, Aragon, Spain
Spain"s Aragon region isn"t exactly famous for its forests—it"s more "sun and scrub" than "shade and shuffle." And yet, climb the slopes of Moncayo and you"ll walk straight into a twist ending: a dense, whispering beech forest. The mountain is a climate roller coaster. At the bottom? Mediterranean shrubs. Midway up? Oaks and pines. Push further? Suddenly you"re in Peña Roya, a beech wonderland that seems to say, "Surprise, leaf it to me!"Desktop Version
Irohazaka Road in fall, Nikko, Tochigi, Japan
Irohazaka Road in fall, Nikko, Tochigi, Japan
If you think the alphabet is straightforward, Japan"s Irohazaka Road in Nikko will twist that belief right out of you. Named after the old Japanese syllabary "Iroha," this mountain pass once had 48 hairpin bends—each curve matched to a character of the alphabet. Today, it"s a pair of separate one-way roads—one goes up, the other comes down, and both make drivers feel as if they"re spelling out a story with every turn.Desktop Version
Celebrating 54 years of Capitol Reef National Park
Celebrating 54 years of Capitol Reef National Park
Rock layers formed over millions of years and a massive bend in the Earth"s crust give this desert a rare window into geologic history. This is Capitol Reef National Park in Utah, where sandstone cliffs and canyons preserve a striking record of the planet"s past. December 18 marks the anniversary of its designation as a national park in 1971. Today"s featured image highlights the sandstone monoliths of Cathedral Valley, including the Temple of the Sun, part of this extraordinary, protected landscape.Desktop Version
Winter solstice
Winter solstice
Ever felt as if the night just wouldn"t end? That"s the winter solstice working its magic. It is the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring around December 21 or 22. In the Southern Hemisphere, the same happens around June 21 or 22. It marks the moment when one of Earth"s poles tilts farthest from the sun. From that instant, daylight slowly begins to lengthen again.Desktop Version
Bandon Beach in Bandon, Oregon
Bandon Beach in Bandon, Oregon
Pull off of Highway 101, and Bandon, Oregon, greets you with salty air and the clang of harbor bells. The town began as a small settlement in the 1850s and grew into a center for timber and salmon fishing. Cranberries became a key crop and are still celebrated each September during the Cranberry Festival. Old Town reflects that past with boardwalk cafés and galleries, while the Coquille River Lighthouse stands restored at Bullards Beach as a reminder of the days when its beacon guided ships.Desktop Version