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Dec 24, 2018The birthplace of a classic Christmas carol

All is calm here in Salzburg, Austria, tonight–much like we imagine it was on this day 200 years ago, when the song ‘Silent Night’ made its debut in the world. This is the bicentennial of the popular carol, written by Franz Gruber and Joseph Mohr, and first performed in a chapel in the nearby town of Oberndorf. The song has since been performed by artists around the world and was given intangible cultural heritage status by UNESCO. But the most popular recording of the song belongs to Bing Crosby, whose rendition remains the third best-selling single of all time.Desktop Version

Apr 24, 2019Cool water in the Quinault

The Quinault Rainforest is in one of four lushly forested valleys on western Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Lying within both Olympic National Park and the Olympic National Forest, this temperate rainforest gets anywhere from 12 to 14 feet of rain per year. All that water means the Quinault bursts with greenery, especially in spring as mountain snow melts and the river begins to flow with gusto.Desktop Version

Feb 13, 2019Life goes on at the Beatles Ashram

In 1968, the four members of the Beatles traveled to this site on the banks of the Ganges River in Northern India to study transcendental meditation. It was a time of prolific songwriting for the group, and 18 of the songs composed here were later recorded on their self-titled album, also known as The White Album. Their time at the ashram was brief and the facility itself was abandoned in the 1990s, left to become derelict and overrun by the encroaching jungle. It nevertheless remained a popular destination for Beatles fans and in 2015, it reopened to the public. Today, visitors will see fan tributes and several murals created by visiting artists.Desktop Version

Apr 16, 2018The Bazaruto Archipelago of Mozambique

Those turquoise waters are a particularly fetching corner of the Indian Ocean, lapping at the white-sand islands of Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago. The islands have been a national park since 1971, protecting the delicate ecosystem and the rare animals that live here, both on land and in the coral reefs below the surf.Desktop Version

Mar 20, 2018Celebrating the first day of spring

March 20 marks the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning that for the next six months daylight hours will outlast nighttime darkness, and we’ll see plenty of beautiful blooms like the tulips shown here. They were photographed in Drenthe Province of the Netherlands, a country that’s been famous for tulips since the 17th century. That’s when the price of tulip bulbs climbed to astronomical heights and then dramatically collapsed in what’s since become known as the first economic bubble, dubbed ‘Tulip Mania.’Desktop Version

Apr 3, 2021A light at the edge of the world

Seemingly against all odds, the Aniva Lighthouse stands atop this rocky outcrop where it once lit the way for vessels navigating the fierce currents, hidden rocks, and frequent fogs of Cape Aniva on the island of Sakhalin. Russia"s largest island, Sakhalin lies off the mainland"s Far East coast, due north of the Japanese island of Hokkaido. The island was hotly contested by both Russia and Japan in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the late 1930s, when the Aniva Lighthouse was built, Russia controlled the northern half of Sakhalin while Japan controlled this, the southern part—so it was a team from Japan that built this lighthouse.Desktop Version

Feb 18, 2019Presidents Day in America’s front yard

For Presidents Day, we’re at the National Mall, the downtown park in Washington, DC, that’s known as ‘America’s front yard’ and serves as home to some of our nation’s most iconic landmarks. On the left, we see the Lincoln Memorial, which honors Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president; the right side of the panorama shows the Washington Monument, the tall obelisk that memorializes George Washington, our first president. In fact, the two landmarks are on a direct east-west axis across from each other. The Lincoln Memorial sits at the western end of the National Mall, while the Washington Monument lies due east, across the Reflecting Pool. Presidents Day was originally established to honor Washington’s February 22 birthday, but has evolved to be a celebration of all the US presidents. How will you spend the holiday?Desktop Version

Mar 10, 2020A festival of colors

Hindus in India and around the globe are celebrating Holi today, a spring celebration also called the festival of love, or the festival of colors. Why colors? Because these colorful powders are flung in joyous revelry to welcome spring and celebrate the blossoming of love. It is a time to forget old grievances and hope for a bountiful spring harvest season.Desktop Version

Jan 25, 2018Sami lavvu structures, Finnmark, Norway

It’s not a tipi, it’s a lavvu. We’re in Sami country here in Finnmark, Norway, and these temporary dwellings were used by the indigenous Sami people as they followed their reindeer herds across northern Scandinavia. The design has made its way into other symbols of the Sami culture, including the coat of arms for the municipality of Kautokeino and the design of the Sami Parliament building in Karasjok, Norway.Desktop Version

Jan 18, 2019An opulent backdrop for a historic event

We’re at the Palace of Versailles for the 100th anniversary of the Paris Peace Conference, which convened here in January 1919, marking the end of World War I. Diplomats from 32 countries and nationalities attended to negotiate terms of peace. They ultimately signed five treaties, including the Treaty of Versailles, which ordered Germany to take responsibility for losses and damages in the war and to pay reparations. The conference also established the League of Nations, the first intergovernmental organization dedicated to preserving world peace. The organization was later succeeded by the United Nations.Desktop Version

Mar 10, 2018Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Visit Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, and you may get some photos like this, too. Johnston Canyon, seen here, features one the park’s most easily accessed hikes. Given its close proximity to the Trans-Canada Highway, which leads through the park, it’s pretty popular—but not just with humans. It’s also one of the park’s better bird-watching spots, so bring binoculars to look for some of Banff’s winged residents.Desktop Version

Mar 25, 2018Jan van Eyckplein in Bruges, Belgium

Float down Spiegelrei canal in Bruges, Belgium, and you’ll arrive at the town square called Jan van Eyckplein. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Venice of the North,’ Bruges has numerous canals that once fueled the historic city’s shipping economy. Jan van Eyckplein is named for the influential 15th-century Belgian painter, Jan van Eyck. A statue of him stands in the middle of the square.Desktop Version

Jun 19, 2018Dancers perform ‘Revelations’

To observe Juneteenth, the holiday that marks the end of slavery in the US, we’re with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The company’s dancers are performing Ailey’s seminal 1960 work ‘Revelations,’ which depicts, in 36 minutes of modern dance, the long arc of history for African Americans, from slavery to freedom and beyond. It’s still performed frequently by the company—this photo was taken in 2014. Join us in our Juneteenth celebration.Desktop Version

Jun 28, 2020Keep shining

Since 1970, New York City has celebrated LGBTQIA+ pride with a parade, public speeches and rallies, and record-setting crowds—officials estimate the 2019 NYC Pride March drew in 5 million people. This photo shows the LED display casting rainbow-hued light across the upper levels of Manhattan"s iconic Empire State Building to celebrate 2014"s Pride Week.Desktop Version

Jan 27, 2021A dramatic view of Sicily

If you mistook this gorgeous, postcard-worthy image for one of the many coastal towns along Italy"s famous Amalfi coast, you wouldn"t be far off. However, the town seen here actually lies farther to the south, located on the eastern side of Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean. Beginning in the late 19th century, sun-seeking tourists have come to the chic resort town of Taormina during the warmer months, looking to dine in its restaurants, relax on its beaches, and of course just to take in the exquisite scenery.Desktop Version

Jan 3, 2019How do ladybugs winter?

Our photo shows a single ladybug taking a winter’s nap near Tewin, England. That’s right, many species of ladybug hibernate over the winter. In Redwood Regional Park near San Francisco, this time of year is ‘ladybug season’—when hikers in the cool, damp woods may spot a large group of ladybugs—called a ‘loveliness’—huddled for warmth and safety, snoozing until spring. They’ll wake up, and get back to eating more crop-killing aphids—seems reason enough to let that loveliness of ladybugs into your yard.Desktop Version

Jan 6, 2022Kochelsee in Bavaria

To English speakers, this is Lake Kochel. To German speakers, it"s Kochelsee. Whatever you call it, this popular recreation spot in Bavaria looks great all decked out in winter white. Imagine how quiet it must be when the lake is blanketed by snow. Now stretch your imagination further to the warm summer months when the shores of Kochelsee are busy with tourists out to get a dose of nature. The lake is just an hour"s journey by car or train, south from Munich. Visit during summer and you"re likely to see windsurfers gliding across the surface of the lake.Desktop Version

Dec 13, 2020The view will stop you in your tracks

When it comes to beautiful winter scenery, Switzerland is hard to beat. We"re looking at the Gornergrat railway station with the peak of the Matterhorn in the background. One of the last great peaks of the Alps to be climbed by humans, the Matterhorn was finally summited in 1865, capping off the decade or so that"s been called the "golden age of alpinism." The iconic peak is a daunting pyramid of stone and ice, towering just inside Switzerland"s border with Italy.Desktop Version

Feb 19, 2019A dreamy start to the Year of the Pig

We’re in Taipei, Taiwan, for the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, an event that’s lauded by travel writers as a ‘bucket list’ experience. Traditionally, lantern festivals like this one mark the end of Chinese New Year celebrations. The Chinese New Year began on February 5, ushering in the Year of the Pig, according to the Chinese zodiac. At the Pingxi Lantern Festival, participants will write wishes and prayers onto rice-paper lanterns before releasing them into the night sky. Thousands of people descend on Taipei for the event. What destinations are on your must-see list?Desktop Version

Apr 10, 2021Bear cubs roughhouse on Siblings Day

Let"s celebrate Siblings Day by peeking at the antics of these playful grizzly bear cubs (while staying clear of their mother). Pregnant female grizzlies settle into their den in winter and give birth while hibernating, usually to two cubs. While their mother sleeps, the cubs nurse and grow quickly. When springtime arrives, the new family emerges from the den to search for food. The siblings will live with their mother for two to three years, after which they"ll venture off on their own.Desktop Version

Mar 1, 2019Forward-thinking women of history

How will you observe Women’s History Month? To get us started, we’re taking a close look at the Boston Women’s Memorial. In the foreground of our homepage photo today, we see a statue of Phillis Wheatley, the first African American woman to publish a book of her own poetry. The statue in the background depicts Abigail Adams, who was so politically and socially active in the early years of the US, that she is referred to as a Founding Mother and sometimes added to the list of Founding Fathers. Adams used her position as the wife of President John Adams to speak out against slavery, and in favor of women’s rights.Desktop Version

Feb 27, 2018A polar bear near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

In October and November, many polar bears descend on Churchill, where they wait for Hudson Bay to freeze before heading out onto the ice to hunt for ringed seals. Tourism has flourished in the town as a result, with people flocking to see the charismatic white giants arrive. If they’re lucky, the tourists may even spy a polar bear striking a perfect yoga pose, like our friend here. February 27 is International Polar Bear Day, an observance created to educate the public about this predator’s crucial role in its Arctic habitat, and the effects of melting polar ice on the polar bear’s future.Desktop Version

Jun 12, 2020Big sky at Big Bend

Seventy-six years ago today, on June 12, 1944, Big Bend officially became a US national park. The park covers more than 800,000 acres in West Texas along the Mexico border. This vast area—big enough to swallow Rhode Island—contains mountain, river, and desert ecosystems, including the largest protected area of the Chihuahuan Desert in the United States. Far removed from any urban centers and the light pollution that comes with them, Big Bend boasts some of the darkest skies you"ll find in the Lower 48, earning it a designation as an international dark sky park. Even after 76 years, Big Bend still glows.Desktop Version

Mar 5, 2019Stompin’ with the Big Chief

Today’s Bing photo shows Mardi Gras Indians parading at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, which generally happens in April or May. But the big day for all the Mardi Gras Indians is today, Fat Tuesday itself.Desktop Version

Feb 8, 2019A winter light show

Come to Yosemite in February and you may be shoulder-to-shoulder with photographers hoping to get a shot of Horsetail Fall in the evening. When conditions are right, rays of the setting sun align with the falling water to set the cascade ablaze with light—a natural display called the ‘firefall.’ And in a bit of added mystique, Horsetail Fall itself is an ephemeral waterfall—it flows only for a short time in the winter and early spring.Desktop Version

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