J.R.R. Tolkien Day Jan. 3, 2026

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 traveller, 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.

© pongnathee kluaythong/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Who’s snoozing?
Jan. 3, 2024J.R.R. Tolkien Day
Jan. 3, 2025Happy Birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien!

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov. 18, 2025Male hooded merganser, Oregon, United States
Beauty by the bay
Oct. 22, 2023Astoria-Megler Bridge, Oregon
Jun. 23, 2024Dhaka, Bangladesh
Oct. 21, 2024Cypress trees in George L. Smith State Park, Georgia, United States
May 24, 2025European Day of Parks
This bird is peak beak
Nov. 10, 2024Caribbean flamingos, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
Our forgotten forests
Blood moon
Aug. 1, 2024Floating fruit market, Kaptai Lake, Rangamati, Bangladesh
May 16, 2025Endangered Species Day
Where history comes alive
Creating a better world
A grand view
Jul. 20, 2024International Moon Day
Postcard from Italy
Family on parade
Jun. 17, 2025Maritime forest in Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, United States
Man-made, meandering Lake Powell
A different kind of toucan
Oct. 4, 2025Nuit Blanche Toronto
Dec. 6, 2024Finnish Independence Day
A butterfly’s best friend
Aug. 24, 2025European fallow deer in England
Sep. 21, 2025Sea Otter Awareness Week
A beacon in the golden light
Aug. 19, 2025Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Hear it roar!
Secluded sands in Mexico