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Here s looking Atchafalaya
Here s looking Atchafalaya
Encompassing 14 Louisiana parishes and over 1.4 million acres, the Atchafalaya Basin is one of the United States" 55 National Heritage Areas, the one they call America"s Foreign Country. It"s the nation"s largest river swamp and wetland—the bayous, marshes, and backwater lakes here nurture one of the most diverse ecological and cultural landscapes in North America.Desktop Version
A triumph of light
A triumph of light
These students in Guwahati, India, are lighting oil lamps called diya, and placing them around a floor decoration called rangoli. They’re preparing for Diwali, a five-day celebration symbolizing the victory of light over darkness. It’s a Hindu festival, but Sikhs, Jains, and Newar Buddhists also observe variations of Diwali. Many homes, temples, and commercial spaces decorate with lights, especially diya. The rangoli decoration is thought to bring good luck, and is created by hand using colored rice, flours, sand, or sometimes flower petals. Diwali lasts until November 11, so there’s still time to embrace the light.Desktop Version
Aura River in Turku, Finland
Aura River in Turku, Finland
The Turku Cathedral rises above the frosted forests near the mouth of the Aura River, which runs through the middle of Turku, Finland.Desktop Version
Put your flippers in the air…
Put your flippers in the air…
…it"s World Sea Turtle Day! The gentle giant seen here doing the wave was snapped mid-dive, headed to the seafloor near the Great Barrier Reef to munch some marine grass. The green sea turtle is among the larger of the seven sea turtle species, with some individuals reaching 5 feet in length and weighing 700 pounds. They live throughout the world"s subtropical waters, and like other sea turtles, they migrate long distances for food. Despite all that traveling, they return to hatch their eggs on the same select nesting beaches where they were born.Desktop Version
It s World Poetry Day
It s World Poetry Day
For World Poetry Day, we"re seeing the stylized visage of poet Pablo Neruda projected on a building in his native Chile. World Poetry Day was established by UNESCO to acknowledge "that individuals, everywhere in the world, share the same questions and feelings." Neruda, a Nobel laureate generally held up by Chileans as their national poet, made his early mark with famously racy love poetry. But his palette of questions and feelings evolved, expanding into surrealism, epic history, and radical politics. His death in 1973 after a bout with cancer was mourned publicly by Chileans—in defiance of newly installed dictator Augusto Pinochet, whom many Chileans link to Neruda"s untimely passing.Desktop Version
Raise your hand for Teacher Appreciation Day
Raise your hand for Teacher Appreciation Day
At some point during the year, most countries will celebrate Teacher Appreciation Day, because who doesn’t appreciate the teachers in our lives? In the United States, we’re celebrating on this day. In fact, today’s party is part of Teacher Appreciation Week, a chance to honor those who dedicate their lives to shaping our minds, young and old, and encouraging us to explore and think about the world around us. What did your favorite teacher help you learn?Desktop Version
It s fair season
It s fair season
If it"s summer, there"s a fair going on somewhere. Looking at this photo, you can practically smell the cotton candy, hear the sonic blend of rides, carnival games, and music, and taste the sugary fried food (and feel your arteries clogging). Smaller fairs like this one in Hardee County, Florida, lead up to larger state fairs in most areas. August is the most popular month for state fairs, though a handful are in July, and some southern states have them during cooler months. Fairs weren"t always about rides and outrageously fattening foods, though. Beginning with the first state fair in Syracuse, New York, back in 1841, and long before anyone figured out how to fry a stick of butter, there were celebrations of agriculture and livestock, and those traditions continue. So, when you hit your local fair, don"t forget to check out the giant vegetables and costumed llamas before you get in line for the tilt-a-whirl or a deep-fried Snickers wrapped in bacon.Desktop Version
Assembling the Smithsonian
Assembling the Smithsonian
Today’s photo–taken in 1953–depicts the dedication required to keep the Smithsonian Institution going and growing. This national treasure is made up of 19 museums and galleries and the National Zoo, as well as several research facilities. Admission to all Smithsonian museums in Washington is free, so that anyone can visit to learn about the US, and the world beyond it. It was this day in 1846 that President James K. Polk signed the legislation establishing the Smithsonian. Getting there took some doing, as Englishman James Smithson had donated the funds for an educational institution to the US in his will 20 years earlier. After the deaths of Smithson and his last surviving relative, Congress inherited 104,960 gold sovereigns as start-up money for the museum that would later bear Smithson’s name.Desktop Version
The moon rises for Mid-Autumn Festival
The moon rises for Mid-Autumn Festival
Shenzhen, China—seen in our photo today—is a drone manufacturing hub. So, when this city celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival in 2018, a synchronized fleet of drones took to the skies over Shenzhen Talent Park and lit up in a crescent-moon shape to celebrate the lunar holiday. At other times in the performance, the drones created the shape of Chinese characters reading "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!" So, what is the Mid-Autumn Festival? It’s a harvest celebration that’s been observed by Chinese and other Asian peoples for thousands of years. The date of the celebration changes each year on our Gregorian calendar, falling on the first full moon of the harvest season, which arrives today. One major feature of the lunar holiday? A sweet pastry called "mooncake." Let it be known that we fully embrace any holiday that includes cake.Desktop Version
Let s get lost
Let s get lost
Beannachtaí ó Greenan Maze in Ireland! (That first part is "Greetings from" in traditional Irish.) This family farm in Greenan, a small village in the countryside of County Wicklow, has a hedge maze and a meditative labyrinth path, both in the "celtic maze" style. Celtic mazes are a common artistic motif in artifacts from ancient Celtic settlements. Historians suggest the Celtic maze was linked to spiritual practices, often associated with the journey of the dead into the afterlife. And in modern life, they can be an inspiration for creative hedge mazes. Are you rethinking your backyard landscaping, or is that just us?Desktop Version
GOAL!
GOAL!
This photo captures an unusual view of Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, where soccer"s most prestigious event, the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final, takes place today. If you"re still feeling fuzzy on World Cup details, here’s a quick primer: Today"s event is the culmination of 64 matches that began June 14, with 32 men"s national teams battling for the sport"s top honors. Previous World Cup champs France face off against Croatia in today’s game. Croatia’s team is the "Cinderella" of the match, as they’ve come through with some unexpected victories. Congrats to both teams for making it this far!Desktop Version
Astrotourism at its finest
Astrotourism at its finest
Stay in Canyonlands National Park until after sundown so you can appreciate one of the park"s most distinct features—a night sky so free of artificial light that it’s been designated a Gold-Tier International Dark Sky park. Here’s another way of understanding what that means: When you’re in the city you may see up to 500 stars in a moonless night sky, but here in Utah"s Canyonlands, you can see more than 15,000. Many of the stars (and planets) sparkle in the Milky Way, our galactic home in the universe. It’s a big reason why astrotourists and photographers visit at night, to see the light show above. But for those who follow the sun, daytime is perfect for hiking and camping, wildlife viewing, and discovering rock art left behind by prehistoric peoples.Desktop Version
Blue-footed booby, Galápagos Islands
Blue-footed booby, Galápagos Islands
Today we"re celebrating Darwin Day with this blue-footed booby on the shores of the Galápagos Islands, where the famous naturalist observed wildlife and collected specimens that would inform his theory of evolution.Desktop Version
Celebrating a young girl s age-old discovery
Celebrating a young girl s age-old discovery
When 12-year-old Mary Anning uncovered the complete skeleton of a fish-like creature near her home on England"s southern coast in 1811, extinction was a shaky idea in science. Fossils were nothing new—everything dies and leaves remains, after all. But could an entire species really die off? Were more of these 17-foot sea monsters lurking in the depths of the English Channel?Desktop Version
Happy World Laughter Day
Happy World Laughter Day
Even though these Burchell"s zebras are probably fighting, to us it kind of looks like they are sharing a laugh. And since today is World Laughter Day, we"ve been trying to imagine what kind of joke would make a zebra laugh. Why did the lion spit out the clown? Because he tasted funny. Maybe. Anyway, World Laughter Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May to remind people of the very real physical and mental health benefits of laughter. It"s no joke that laughter has a clinically proven positive effect on your well-being. And experts (yes, there are experts) agree that laughing lowers blood pressure, releases endorphins, works your abs, reduces stress hormones, and even boosts T cells that fight infection. Faking it still works, even if you"re not feeling it.Desktop Version
High seas commerce
High seas commerce
Unless you work in shipping, you may not think about how much global shipping affects our daily lives. Most of the consumer goods we buy traveled across oceans on massive container ships. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) estimates that as much as 90 percent of global trade relies on ships. The IMO created World Maritime Day to call attention to the hard work mariners do finding the most efficient and safest shipping routes around the globe.Desktop Version
Global commerce in motion
Global commerce in motion
The COVID-19 pandemic has been rough sailing for everyone, and especially so for seafarers on shipping vessels. As if moving more than 80% of the world"s goods wasn"t a big mission already, the pandemic created urgent needs for certain goods to be shipped to all corners of the globe. At the same time, it forced travel restrictions that made shipping more complicated. Hundreds of thousands of sailors and other shipping personnel have found themselves stuck on ships much longer than planned as virus precautions impede crew changes.Desktop Version
Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Arkansas
Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Arkansas
The Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista, Arkansas, is one of the most charming buildings in the country. Constructed in 1988 and named for a beloved community member whose husband commissioned it, this chapel was designed by E. Fay Jones, an architect known for his wooden creations. Its unique design seamlessly blends modernist principles with nature"s splendor, resulting in a harmonious space which blends with its natural setting. Surrounded by lush trees, with sunlight filtering in through the huge glass windows, the chapel serves as a perfect sanctuary for contemplation and prayer. It also stands as a powerful testament to the ability of architecture to inspire and uplift the human spirit.Desktop Version
Talk like a pirate—or walk the plank
Talk like a pirate—or walk the plank
Blimey! The so-called Golden Age of Piracy, in the 17th and 18th centuries, has long captured our imaginations, and inspired books and movies about swashbucklers on the high seas. So much do Americans love pirates, that they created a holiday dedicated to blabberin" like one. Talk Like a Pirate Day was first imagined in 1995 by two Oregon residents who pitched the idea to columnist Dave Barry. From there, it went viral. These days, Sept 19 is celebrated internationally, with major brands and media personalities joining in the silliness. We’re fans, too. Just picture us typin" this here with an eye patch, peg leg, an" pocket-full o" swag doubloons. Arrrrrr!Desktop Version
Remembering the Velvet Revolution
Remembering the Velvet Revolution
Today we"re visiting Prague for the 30th anniversary of the start of the Velvet Revolution in what was then Czechoslovakia. On November 17, 1989, during their annual International Students Day observance, 15,000 students in Prague began demonstrating against the Communist Party"s authoritarian rule over the country. After the official end of the demonstration, the students continued marching to the center of the city. When they reached Národní Street, they were met by security forces who, after blocking all escape routes, began attacking. Afterwards, unfounded rumors of an injured or possibly dead student triggered strikes among students, actors, and others.Desktop Version
Balloons and camels are two ways to catch a ride here
Balloons and camels are two ways to catch a ride here
Welcome to India"s largest camel and livestock festival, the Pushkar Camel Fair. Thousands of people travel across mountains and through the Thar Desert to buy and sell livestock and enjoy the carnival-like atmosphere here. The fair offers visitors many diversions, but it"s the camels who get top billing. Considered "ships of the desert," camels were domesticated by nomads thousands of years ago to carry goods across forbidding landscapes. When well fed and hydrated, a camel can travel great distances without needing water or food, sometimes for weeks. The humps on a camel"s back serve a purpose: they"re fatty deposits that act as a source of nutrition. Here, on the edge of the Thar Desert, the camel remains a mode of transport for nomads as well as a source for textiles, goods, and sustenance (did you know a camel"s milk does not curdle in the desert heat?). The camel is held in such high esteem, the Pushkar Fair even stages camel decoration contests.Desktop Version
Its Halfway Day!
Its Halfway Day!
Today is Halfway Day, which means we are halfway through 2023! Halfway Day begins at noon on July 2 during a regular 365-day year, and at midnight on July 2 during a leap year—so this year, we"re celebrating at lunchtime.Desktop Version
The snows of Fuji
The snows of Fuji
This shot of Mount Fuji"s symmetrical cone was taken in September 2020, showcasing the first snow of the season. The dusting proved short-lived, melting off in just a couple of days. And snow wouldn"t come again until the end of December—raising new concerns about decades of rising temperatures on Fuji"s slopes.Desktop Version
A day to celebrate teachers
A day to celebrate teachers
To celebrate World Teachers" Day, we"re in the Jiangsu province of China, taking in this birds"-eye view of kindergarteners drawing together under the tutelage of some hard-working teachers. The UN created this day back in 1994 to draw attention to the vital role that teachers play in providing kids a quality education. The observation also highlights the obstacles that teachers face every day, particularly in challenging times like these.Desktop Version
Party like it’s 5779
Party like it’s 5779
Jewish people around the world are celebrating Rosh Hashanah today, which literally translates as "head of the year." It may be Sept 10, but it"s also the first day of the first month on the Jewish calendar, which is based on the lunar month as opposed to the solar month. So, why are we looking at honeycombs--real ones, not the cereal? To note the Rosh Hashanah custom of eating apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year. Happy 5779!Desktop Version