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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
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
An iconic feat of engineering, the Golden Gate Bridge stands like a sentinel at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. Pictured here blanketed by fog above the waters of the Golden Gate Strait, its towers, adorned with Art Deco elements, reach a height of 746 feet. The bridge opened in 1937, thanks to the efforts of engineer Joseph Strauss, architect Irving Morrow, and others who wanted to connect San Francisco to Marin County. It wasn"t an easy vision to accomplish during the Great Depression, but the investment paid off as its construction created thousands of jobs and boosted growth. It was Morrow who picked the striking color, International Orange, an unusual choice at the time when many bridges were gray or black. He felt it would contrast well with the surrounding hills, sky, ocean, and fog. The Golden Gate Bridge, a testament to human innovation, is a timeless masterpiece blending functionality with beauty.Desktop Version
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
Gamboa Crater, Mars
Gamboa Crater, Mars
It would be pretty tough to live on Mars. It"s cold, dry, and the conditions are harsh. The planet"s average temperature is about –81 degrees Fahrenheit, but it can get as low as –243 at the poles. But with many canyons, extinct volcanoes, and ice caps, it"s beautiful to look at from afar. Most photos of the red planet highlight its rusty color, caused by high levels of iron oxide.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
Saint Andrews Day
Saint Andrews Day
Scotland"s fantastical landscapes are steeped in folklore and myths. The Old Man of Storr—a 164-foot rocky pinnacle on the Isle of Skye—is no exception. So named because it is said to resemble a craggy man when viewed from the right angle, it has long inspired tales of giants and magic. The Old Man towers over the Trotternish Ridge, a 20-mile-long landslip that is home to many stunning and strange rock formations, each with their own stories.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
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
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
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
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
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
In Texas, even the riverbend is big
In Texas, even the riverbend is big
We"re celebrating the 77th birthday of Big Bend National Park, the place the National Park Service calls "one of the last remaining wild corners of the United States." To get here, you have to be committed. This rugged terrain, which covers almost a million acres, is one of the most remote spots in the country—it"s hours from the nearest towns or the closest airport, making it one of the least-visited national parks in the country. Those who do make the effort to get to Big Bend are rewarded with an undeveloped natural beauty, and silence, two things that seem to be in short supply these days.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
Riding the bore tide at Turnagain Arm, Cook Inlet, Alaska
Riding the bore tide at Turnagain Arm, Cook Inlet, Alaska
When the moon tugs at the tides here in Cook Inlet, Alaska, a gravitational event known as a bore tide occurs, pushing waves up against the current and creating a watery playground for stand-up paddleboarders. The bore tide here in Turnagain Arm, near Anchorage, is one of the biggest in the world, sometimes creating waves 10 feet tall. The biggest waves occur after an extremely low tide, as that’s when the largest amount of seawater comes rushing back into the narrow bay. Surf’s up, Alaskans!Desktop Version
The borrowed days are here
The borrowed days are here
This photo of a European crested tit weathering a late-winter storm in Scotland may sum up the way some of us living in the Northern Hemisphere feel about the month of March. While the calendar tells us spring has arrived, the weather often seems to disagree. It"s the blustery, unpredictable elements of this time of year that inspired an old Western European folktale that the month of March "borrowed" three days from April so that it could indulge in a few final winter-like days. These "borrowed days" are the last three days of the month. Perhaps take comfort that it"s only three days. In some parts of Ireland, March borrowed nine days. That"s too many days.Desktop Version
World Rivers Day
World Rivers Day
Today we"re recognizing World Rivers Day, a celebration of our planet"s waterways. The event branched off in 2005 from its source, BC Rivers Day, which has been observed by British Columbians in Canada since 1980. The annual event is now celebrated on the fourth Sunday of September by millions of people in more than 100 countries. It is a day that raises public awareness about rivers around the world and encourages their conservation.Desktop Version
Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships
Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships
Today is the opening day of the WISSA Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships, which take place this year in Lithuania. Iceboating, also known as ice sailing, began in 17th-century Europe. Travelers used vessels on blades to traverse the frozen Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea and the iced-over canals of the Netherlands. These days, the sport is enjoyed as a recreational and competitive activity using a variety of boats, boards, skates, and kites. The world championships, which fall under the broader umbrella of windsurfing competitions, have been held since 1980. Good luck to all those out there competing for fame and glory on the windswept ice!Desktop Version
Happy World Photography Day!
Happy World Photography Day!
What"s the best thing to do when you come face-to-face with a giant manta ray? Take a photo of course, and then share your creation with the rest of the world, especially on World Photography Day, celebrated each August 19. As this photographer can attest, a lot of work goes into taking a great photo. There"s more to it than having mastery of your equipment and a willingness to go on the hunt for the perfect shot. You also must be ready for a magic moment like this one, so when that amazing shot does present itself, you"re ready to capture it.Desktop Version
Reflections on Memorial Day
Reflections on Memorial Day
For Memorial Day, we"re visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. More than 58,000 names of men and women who served and died in the Vietnam War are etched on the black granite V-shaped wall. In 1981, Maya Lin was just 21 and still an undergraduate at Yale when she won a nationwide public competition to design the memorial. But when her design was unveiled, its minimalist and nontraditional approach sparked controversy. Many considered it bleak and thought the black granite symbolized defeat rather than honor. To address these criticisms, and over Lin"s objections, a bronze statue of three servicemen was added to the plan. Later another statue, the Vietnam Women"s Memorial, was erected south of the wall. Today the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is among the most popular and revered landmarks in DC, drawing over 4.5 million visitors a year.Desktop Version
Great cormorants
Great cormorants
Great cormorants are among the great anglers of the avian world. Found in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and North America, they"re expert at diving under the water"s surface to catch bottom-dwelling fish.Desktop Version
Wicker fields in Cañamares, Spain
Wicker fields in Cañamares, Spain
The summer swaths of green in this field have transformed by wintertime to a harvest-ready red—but it"s not a harvest you can eat. Just what"s being grown here?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
1.1 billion opportunities for a better world
1.1 billion opportunities for a better world
Today’s homepage recognizes the International Day of the Girl, a UN-sponsored event to raise awareness about the 1.1 billion girls in the world, the unique challenges they face, and what the future could promise if they’re empowered to overcome those challenges. That future is a bright one. Research from UN Women indicates that when girls are provided an education, the rate of child marriage is reduced, as well as rates of disease. When women work, economies grow. And when the share of household income controlled by women increases, children benefit. It’s all the more reason to invest in education and equality for women and girls around the world.Desktop Version
Celebrating the Acadians
Celebrating the Acadians
In honor of Canada"s National Acadian Day, we"re on the shores of New Brunswick as the ocean recedes to reveal the Bay of Fundy"s massive intertidal zone. The tide is a big deal at the bay—more than five times bigger than in most places. Typical tides around the world have a range of 3 to 6 feet, but these waters drop as far as 50 feet from high to low tide.Desktop Version