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In praise of the old…the very old
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.Desktop Version
Old man s whiskers growing wild
Old man s whiskers growing wild
The three-flowered avens is one of those lucky plants known by several common names, including prairie smoke and, yes, old man"s whiskers. The hardy perennial blooms across North American prairies in the springtime, setting off purple-tinged, closed bell-shaped buds that hang downward in clumps of three. After bees go to work pollinating the buds, the fertilized flowers open and turn skyward transforming their pistils into soft swirling tendrils that are said to resemble an old man"s whiskers. Take a good look at our image and decide if that"s what comes to mind for you. As summer marches on, the plants continue their spectacular show as the fuzzy seed heads take on a pink-tinged cast resembling low-lying prairie smoke.Desktop Version
The Battle of the Bulge 75 years later
The Battle of the Bulge 75 years later
Seventy-five years ago this week, the Battle of the Bulge began in the forests of the Ardennes, Belgium. On the morning of Dec 16, 1944, the beleaguered German army threw its best remaining troops and armor against a lightly defended section of the Allied line. Bad weather neutralized Allied air superiority and over the first few days, the Nazi offensive produced a "bulge" in the Allies" defensive line west into Belgium. Desperate to hold the line, US General Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne to defend the strategically important crossroads in Bastogne. The town was surrounded for nearly 10 days by German forces, but the Airborne held out. In fact, a German demand for Allied surrender was rejected with a single word: "NUTS" (a bit of 1940s American slang that needed to be explained to the Nazi officers). In the end, the German offensive was defeated, with US forces having borne the brunt of the fighting—Americans sustained their highest casualties of any single battle in World War II.Desktop Version
Short-eared owl
Short-eared owl
Silently swooping over the open English countryside in search of its next meal is a short-eared owl, though that"s something of a misnomer. Named for the inconspicuous tufts on top of its head that resemble ears, the owl"s true ears are on the side of its head, hidden by feathers. But those tiny false "ears," which may function as display feathers or camouflage, lend the owl a distinctive appearance, and the short-eared owl is often affectionately called "shortie." Here in England, short-eared owls are seen more frequently in winter, when their numbers are boosted by an influx of continental birds migrating from Scandinavia, Russia, and Iceland.Desktop Version
At ease, it’s Armed Forces Day
At ease, it’s Armed Forces Day
It’s the third Saturday in May, and that means we"re celebrating all five branches of the US military on Armed Forces Day. To commemorate our enlisted personnel on this occasion, we bring you this image of paratroopers filling the sky over Fort Bragg in North Carolina, for the annual charity event called Operation Toy Drop. Every December since 1998, Army and Air Force personnel have brought toys to donate to needy children, and in return, earned their foreign jump wings by taking a parachute-aided dive.Desktop Version
Splashes of color for Watercolor Month
Splashes of color for Watercolor Month
World Water Color Month is the perfect excuse to get creative. Sure, you might not be able to paint something as iconic as Winslow Homer’s ‘Rocky Beach,’ shown here, but all you need is a set of watercolor paints from the drugstore to whip up a unique painting of your own. Art, after all, can be a cathartic form of expression. As Bob Ross once said: ‘In painting, you have unlimited power. You have the ability to move mountains. You can bend rivers. But when I get home, the only thing I have power over is the garbage.’Desktop Version
Gone ‘lightseeing’ in Berlin
Gone ‘lightseeing’ in Berlin
The city is the canvas tonight in Berlin, where the Festival of Lights is wrapping up its 10-day run in the German capital. The festival invites artists to illuminate landmarks throughout the city, like the Bode Museum, shown here overlooking the Spree River. The annual event is one of the most famous light festivals in the world, with more than 2 million visitors. Artists use light, projection, and video art to create their displays, and video artists compete in the World Championship for Projection Mapping, in which they project their works on national landmarks like the Berlin TV Tower and Berlin Cathedral.Desktop Version
Swinging into International Jazz Day
Swinging into International Jazz Day
You are seeing–and hearing, if you click the audio button on the lower-right corner of the homepage–the musical stylings of Mary Lou Williams, often called the first lady of the jazz keyboard. Williams was a composer, arranger, and pianist who recorded more than 100 records, collaborating with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Duke Ellington. She’s photographed here in 1943 by photographer Gjon Mili, who often hosted jazz jam sessions at his New York City studio.Desktop Version
A truly American monument
A truly American monument
Sunlight on the Lincoln Memorial highlights not just the ornate detail of the monument, but the variety of material used to construct it. Architect Henry Bacon made sure to use granite, marble, and limestone sourced from states throughout the country. At the time of Lincoln’s presidency, there were only 36 states in the Union, so all 36 of those states’ names are what’s carved into the frieze directly above the columns. Now that we’ve given you a little bump of patriotic pride, remember that it’s Election Day. Did you vote?Desktop Version
Citizenship Day and Constitution Day
Citizenship Day and Constitution Day
Today we visit the National Archives in Washington DC, where the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are on display, to mark Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. It"s a single day with a dual purpose—commemorating the formation and signing of the Constitution, while also recognizing both naturalized citizens and those born in the US. Ordinarily, many people become naturalized citizens in group ceremonies on this day; on average, about 700,000 people become American citizens each year.Desktop Version
What kind of bird laid these eggs?
What kind of bird laid these eggs?
These colorful little eggs are the progeny of the hoary redpoll, also known as the Arctic redpoll because of its extreme northern habitat. This hardy finch spends much of its time, including breeding season, in the brushy tundra of the northern polar regions. Because of the extreme cold, the female will often line her nest with feathers, particularly white ptarmigan feathers, as these appear to be. Sighting a hoary redpoll is a rare treat. The bird doesn"t exactly migrate, but in winter it will sometimes fly short distances farther south in search of food, so if you live in Minnesota, North Dakota, or Montana, you might get a peek at one on your bird feeder. You’ll recognize a hoary redpoll by its small yellow bill, red cap, dark face, and "frosty" white underbody streaked with brown. Or listen for the "chif chif chif" of its call.Desktop Version
There was gold in them there hills…
There was gold in them there hills…
The red clay formations called Las Médulas owe their angular character not to the shaping hands of nature but to those of gold miners—and not grizzled "49ers in grubby flannel and overalls, but 1st-century excavators clad in tattered tunics. When gold seams were discovered here in what"s now northern Spain, the Romans who controlled the region created a clever system of tunnels and canals under the hills, through which they channeled water from nearby streams to build pressure that cracked away huge chunks of clay.Desktop Version
A giant relic in Java
A giant relic in Java
This photo shows the quiet, mist-shrouded wilderness surrounding the Buddhist temple known as Borobudur. The site is among the most-visited attractions on the island of Java, with devout practitioners making pilgrimages to the holy site and curious tourists coming to see the grandeur of the structure. With 504 Buddha statues and 2,672 sculpted relief panels, Borobudur is the world"s largest Buddhist temple. It was likely constructed in the 9th century and abandoned in the 14th as much of the Indonesian population converted from Buddhism and Hinduism to Islam.Desktop Version
Winter at Valley Forge
Winter at Valley Forge
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, is the site of the winter encampment of the Continental Army under General George Washington. On December 19, 1777, about 12,000 soldiers and 400 women and children started to build 1,500 log huts where they would live for the next six months. At the time, the British were occupying the patriot capital of Philadelphia, just a day"s march away. Already two and a half years into the war, troops knew the harsh winter would stop the fighting, allowing them to organize and avoid mobilizing for several months. Life, however, was still challenging as they lacked funds for fresh food and clothing. There were no battles at Valley Forge, but nearly 2,000 people died from disease during the encampment.Desktop Version
From pirate port to nature preserve
From pirate port to nature preserve
Barataria Preserve is one of six distinct locations that make up Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana. The wetlands and bay at Barataria are tied closely to the history of this portion of the Mississippi River Delta. In the late 1700s, Barataria Bay was where the well-dressed smuggler and occasional pirate Jean Lafitte and his brother Pierre built a port. Far from the nearest US naval base and the prying eyes of customs officials, Barataria offered the brothers a safe place to smuggle in goods they"d stolen from ships in the Caribbean, or sometimes bought on the black market. They then sold the merchandise, mainly to merchants in New Orleans. Jean Lafitte and his comrades also helped to defend New Orleans against the British in the final battle of the War of 1812. These days, he’s chiefly remembered for his heroism in the Battle of New Orleans and for the jobs and goods he provided in the region--the erstwhile pirate is a folk hero of a sort, and famous enough that a national historical park was named for him.Desktop Version
A national icon
A national icon
If ever there was an animal that deserved some recognition, it"s the bison. Since 2012, National Bison Day has been observed on the first Saturday of November to acknowledge the animal"s cultural, historical, and economic significance—as well as its remarkable comeback. Bison were once plentiful in America. Tens of millions strong in the 1800s, they roamed in great herds, helping to diversify and maintain the prairie habitat. They also played an important spiritual role in Native American cultures. Settlement of the American West caused habitat loss and that, combined with overhunting, nearly wiped out the species altogether, until ranchers, conservationists, and politicians teamed up to save them. In 1907, 15 bison from the Bronx Zoo were shipped to a wildlife refuge in Oklahoma to revive the population. Fast forward to today, and around 20,000 bison roam on public lands in the United States. In 2016, President Obama named the bison the National Mammal of the United States.Desktop Version
High trekking season in Upper Mustang
High trekking season in Upper Mustang
If you’re lucky enough to be one of the thousand or so tourists allowed into Upper Mustang each year, spring and autumn are the best times for trekking through this incredibly dramatic landscape. Tucked into a remote region of Nepal, it’s geographically part of the Tibetan Plateau. The area is surrounded by the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Massifs and marked with deep gorges, terraced fields, and colorfully stratified rock formations. But perhaps most fascinating of all are the sky caves, 10,000 or so caves dug into the sheer walls of valleys in several areas of the district. Some of these man-made caves are thought to be ancient burial chambers; others are richly decorated with valuable Buddhist paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from the 8th to the 14th centuries. Perched over 150 feet above the valley floor, no one is entirely sure how the caves were built, what they were used for, or even how people accessed them.Desktop Version
A picture-perfect day on Trillium
A picture-perfect day on Trillium
Today we"re out on Trillium Lake, a manmade lake in the shadow of Mount Hood, Oregon"s tallest peak. Formed in 1960 by damming a tributary of the Salmon River, Trillium Lake"s a popular spot for fishing, camping, and boating. In springtime, the surrounding woods are filled with trilliums, the native flowering plants the lake"s named for. Take the flat, 1.9-mile loop trail around the lakeshore for stunning views of Mount Hood. But don"t stop there. Mount Hood National Forest has more than 1,200 miles of hiking trails, not to mention year-round skiing at higher elevations. Wrap up your day at the Timberline Lodge, built during the Great Depression by the WPA and now a National Historic Landmark. Bonus fact: Timberline Lodge was used for exterior shots of the Overlook Hotel in the horror movie "The Shining." But don"t let that scare you off visiting.Desktop Version
Whoopin it up!
Whoopin it up!
For Endangered Species Day, celebrated annually on the third Friday of May, we"re featuring the whooping crane, one of only two crane species found in North America. Once seen throughout midwestern North America, whooping cranes were driven perilously close to extinction by the early 1940s, with fewer than two dozen birds in the wild. Thanks to conservation efforts, their numbers have now risen to more than 600. While that"s good news, this limited recovery is still fragile, and these incredible creatures remain imperiled, particularly by the loss of their wetland habitat.Desktop Version
Seonam Temple, South Korea
Seonam Temple, South Korea
The Seonam Temple, or Seonamsa, in Jogyesan Provincial Park, South Korea, is famed for expressing calm serenity. Just downstream, Buddhist monks built this gently arched bridge by hand centuries ago. Stones around the base record the names of visitors for posterity. Called the Seungseon Bridge ("the Ascending Immortals"), it"s fitting to approach the temple itself on foot, at one with nature. The site is hidden away in ancient trees, with tranquil ponds and streams, gentle hiking trails, and gorgeous pagodas. The temple still ekes out its day in the traditional way, with mellow bells and meditation. The monks also cultivate wild tea plants and are happy to share the benefits of the harvest. You are at peace as soon as you arrive at Seonamsa, and there"s little to distract you from the present moment.Desktop Version
It s tree-climbing season
It s tree-climbing season
These cheetah cubs in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania are playing and chasing each other. While doing this, they"re also developing the skills they"ll need to protect themselves and hunt for food. Cheetahs are born with all their spots, but at birth those spots are closer together, giving the cubs a darker appearance that helps them hide from predators. They also have a strip of long fur down the center of their backs called a mantle that helps them blend into the grass. June is an optimal month for wildlife viewing in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area since it"s the start of the dry season. In addition to cheetahs, visitors can spot lions, hyenas, leopards, jackals, and other animals.Desktop Version
Henningsvær Stadion, Norway
Henningsvær Stadion, Norway
If you want to take in a soccer game and the grandiose beauty of the Norwegian Sea at the same time, this place is pitch perfect. Squeezed into a small Norwegian fishing village, it"s fair to say that Henningsvær Stadion"s grounds will probably never host a UEFA Champions League. But, while it lacks stands for spectators, there"s still plenty of atmosphere to soak up in this striking location. Those who play here do so surrounded by the sound of waves, seabirds, and the smells of salt air and cod, drying on the racks surrounding the pitch.Desktop Version
It s not always sunny in Abu Simbel…
It s not always sunny in Abu Simbel…
…but when it is, it"s pretty spectacular. This tiny lakeside settlement"s Great Temple of Ramesses II was positioned on the orders of that powerful pharaoh so the inner sanctum (in this picture, that"s the small room at the very back) is lit by the sun only twice a year. On February 22 and October 22 (thought to be Ramesses" coronation and birth dates, respectively), the first light of dawn illuminates the sanctuary and three statues within: one of Ramesses, one of the sun god Ra, and one of the chief god Amun. A fourth statue depicting the underworld figure Ptah is permanently shrouded in shadow.Desktop Version
Casting a vote for women s history
Casting a vote for women s history
This historical photo commemorates a group of women who came to Washington, DC, to march alongside thousands in the Woman Suffrage Procession on March 3, 1913. Organizers scheduled the protest on the day before President Woodrow Wilson"s inauguration to draw maximum publicity to their cause—voting rights for women. But it would be another eight years before American women would finally be guaranteed the vote. That came on August 18, 1920, with the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, after a century of protest and activism.Desktop Version
Victory Day in Valletta
Victory Day in Valletta
Today we"re visiting Valletta, the capital of Malta, where the Maltese people are celebrating Victory Day. The national holiday commemorates the end of three historic sieges made on the Maltese archipelago—the Great Siege of Malta, which took place in 1565; the Siege of Valletta by the French, which ended in 1800; and the Siege of Malta during the Second World War by German and Italian forces. The WWII Siege of Malta ended in 1942, after nearly two and a half years of devastating air attacks. King George VI of the United Kingdom, which then ruled the island, awarded Malta the George Cross "for the heroism and devotion of its people" during the great siege. The George Cross was incorporated into the flag of Malta in 1943 and remains there today.Desktop Version