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World Population Day
World Population Day
The bustling city streets of Barcelona seem as good a place as any to mark World Population Day. More and more of us are heading to the city. It"s estimated that 2007 was the first year in which more people lived in cities than in rural areas. If current trends continue, by 2050 about two-thirds of the world population will be living in cities. City planners and government officials will need to account for this rapid increase as power grids, water supplies, public transit, and emergency services will all be stretched.Desktop Version
A summertime light show
A summertime light show
It’s the season for spotting fireflies in some parts of the US, especially in the humid or damp areas that the winged beetles love. For fireflies themselves, it’s a season of love. They create these soft flashes of light as they search for a suitable mate. The glow is produced by a chemical reaction in a firefly’s abdomen. In addition to attracting a partner, the light is believed to deter potential predators by signaling that the insect’s chemical makeup may produce a foul taste or even be toxic. The fireflies in our homepage image were photographed with a long exposure in the Philippines, where fireflies are a popular tourist attraction. Some firefly species here and in other parts of Southeast Asia are known for their synchronized flashing, creating dramatic light shows in the dark.Desktop Version
International Day of Human Space Flight
International Day of Human Space Flight
Sixty-one years ago today, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to see Earth from space, with a view likely similar to this image of the waning gibbous moon taken from the International Space Station. With a call of "Poyekhali!" ("Off we go!"), Gagarin launched into low Earth orbit in his Vostok 3KA spacecraft, making history in less than two hours with a complete trip around the planet. Landing in rural Russia, he became an instant worldwide celebrity—that is, after convincing puzzled locals he was a comrade and not a space alien.Desktop Version
A tribute to the ancestors
A tribute to the ancestors
To celebrate International Day of the World"s Indigenous Peoples, we"re on New Zealand"s North Island, looking at the Ngatoroirangi rock carving by Māori artist Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell in Mine Bay. This artwork is part of a larger collection of carvings on the edge of Lake Taupo and has become a big tourist attraction despite being accessible only by boat. Four years in the making, the work is a tribute to Māori ancestors and guardians, and the integral roles they play in the Indigenous Māori culture.Desktop Version
Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday
Social structure in elephant herds is surprisingly complex. The adults in the herd exhibit what scientists call "reciprocal altruism." That means that elephants will act in ways that give them no direct benefit—say, protecting or feeding a calf that isn"t theirs. They do that because the other elephants in their herd will do the same for them. Maybe the elephant is a good role model for Giving Tuesday?Desktop Version
‘Fringe’ takes center stage as Edinburgh celebrates the arts
‘Fringe’ takes center stage as Edinburgh celebrates the arts
It"s festival season in Edinburgh, and Scotland’s capital is bursting with creativity. Through Aug 27, the city is hosting a staggering number of music, theater, opera, dance, and other types of performances as part of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe–the world’s largest arts festival. The Edinburgh International Festival features world-class performers invited from around the world, while the Festival Fringe is open to everyone and artists are welcome to perform just about anything they dream up.Desktop Version
Storks ready for takeoff
Storks ready for takeoff
It’s migration season for white storks, shown here tending to a nest at Los Barruecos Natural Monument in central Spain. This destination is known for large, granite boulders intermixed with sculptures created by local artists—and it’s a favorite stork nesting spot. When the storks arrive here in springtime for their nesting season, the area can be filled with the sound of the storks’ loud bill-clattering, a tap-tap-tapping that can be heard from great distances. In August and September, white storks depart their nests for a 25-day trip south to their African wintering grounds, where they gather in large flocks. The species returns to Europe again nine months later—hence its unique role in folklore, giving parents a low-stress way to answer the question ‘where do babies come from?’Desktop Version
Surf s up—Down Under
Surf s up—Down Under
It"s International Surfing Day! Here in the US we may be welcoming summer tomorrow, but these Aussie surfers are saying g"day to the rad waves of winter (which started for them on June 1). Though peak surf season is autumn (that is, our spring) here in the Gold Coast area of Queensland, these tropical beaches offer world-class breaks all year long.Desktop Version
Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
For Waitangi Day, we"re visiting the spectacular landscape of Fiordland National Park on New Zealand"s South Island. Waitangi Day is New Zealand"s national day, established to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on February 6, 1840. The document was signed by representatives of the British Crown and some 500 Māori chiefs to establish British law on the islands. The treaty also created the framework for political relations between New Zealand"s government and the Indigenous Māori people. It"s considered New Zealand"s founding document and a cornerstone in the country"s history.Desktop Version
Jöriseen lakes in the Silvretta Alps, Switzerland
Jöriseen lakes in the Silvretta Alps, Switzerland
Today we"re exploring a place of otherworldly beauty: the Jöriseen, a group of alpine lakes near Davos, Switzerland. On sunny days, the lakes glow an ethereal blue, contrasting with the dark, jagged Silvretta Alps that encircle them. The sunlight is reflected in the water by "rock flour"—silt-sized rock particles generated from the grinding of bedrock by glaciers.Desktop Version
Point Reyes National Seashore
Point Reyes National Seashore
This evocative photo of a cypress-lined road was taken in Point Reyes National Seashore, a marine and coastal reserve under the care of the National Park Service. A portion of the park preserves the marine habitat in the harbors along the coast of the Point Reyes Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. Inland, the area"s grasslands, marshlands, and wooded uplands present a notably diverse collection of landscapes—including the cypress tunnel.Desktop Version
Earth at Perihelion
Earth at Perihelion
We"ve reached perihelion! Two weeks after winter solstice the Earth"s orbit is closer to the sun than at any other time of year—a result of the Earth"s elliptical orbit. You may think, "If we"re so close to the sun, why can"t I feel the heat?" Well, that"s because we"re only receiving about 7% more solar energy than normal, which doesn"t really have much impact on the weather.Desktop Version
Ponta da Piedade rock formations in Portugal
Ponta da Piedade rock formations in Portugal
Today we’re featuring the Ponta da Piedade rock formations in the Algarve region as a nod to Portugal Day, a celebration of the Portuguese nation and its people. Observed throughout the Portuguese diaspora, the main festivities are military ceremonies, exhibitions, concerts, pageants, and parades on June 10, the anniversary of the death of Portuguese poet Luís de Camões. Camões was an incredibly colorful character whose poem ‘Os Lusíadas’ chronicled the discovery of the sea route to India by Portuguese explorers and the development of the Portuguese Empire. It is regarded as the national epic poem, much like Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’ was to the ancient Romans, and his influence is so great that Portuguese is often referred to as “the language of Camões.”Desktop Version
St. Patricks Day in County Waterford, Ireland
St. Patricks Day in County Waterford, Ireland
For St. Patrick"s Day, we"re enjoying this stunning rainbow over Ireland"s southeast coast. Shamrocks, parades, and all things green will be the order of the day as we celebrate the patron saint of the Emerald Isle. While many countries recognize the holiday today, the first celebration was held in Ireland more than 1,000 years ago, remembering the 5th-century missionary and bishop credited with bringing Christianity to the country.Desktop Version
Happy New Years Eve!
Happy New Years Eve!
It"s the final countdown! Tonight is New Year"s Eve, time to see out the old year and welcome the new. But how you celebrate depends which country you"re in. If you"re not in the US watching the Times Square Ball Drop, you might smash crockery in Denmark, eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight in Spain, or hang onions outside your door in Greece. In Thailand, you might watch the fireworks illuminating Phra Nakhon Khiri, or "holy city hill," a historical park spread over three peaks overlooking the city of Phetchaburi. Wherever you celebrate, have a great one. See you next year!Desktop Version
Irohazaka road
Irohazaka road
If you"ve ever wanted to learn written Japanese, a joy ride on this undulating road offers an unexpected tutorial. The hairpin turns in our photo are just a few of the 48 curves you"ll negotiate on your way up one part of Irohazaka road and down another—together they make a scenic loop in the highlands outside the city of Nikkō. That"s one switchback for each of the 48 hiragana symbols in an ancient Japanese writing system, with each marked by a sign showing one symbol. Not a bad visual aid for the still-learning visitor!Desktop Version
It s Teacher Appreciation Week
It s Teacher Appreciation Week
Twelve-year-old Seattle student Caroline Holt knows that teachers play a pivotal role in her life, and that"s why she created this sign for Teacher Appreciation Week and posted it outside her school. Teachers everywhere could use a sign of our appreciation, this week and every week—but perhaps especially now. Despite more than a year of staggering challenges presented by the pandemic, teachers still manage to inspire a lifelong love of learning in their students and provide a foundation for young people"s future well-being and happiness.Desktop Version
Bringing the moon to Earth
Bringing the moon to Earth
It was 50 years ago that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to feel an alien gravity tugging at them. By landing on the moon on July 20, 1969, a mere 66 years after the first powered flight by the Wright brothers, the two astronauts met the challenge set by John F. Kennedy seven years earlier to land men on the moon before the end of the decade.Desktop Version
Happy 300th, NOLA!
Happy 300th, NOLA!
Today, Jackson Square and other places in New Orleans will be full of revelers. No, it’s not a Mardi Gras do-over, it’s the city’s 300th birthday celebration. Sometime in the spring of 1718, ‘La Nouvelle-Orléans’ was founded by French investors. Since then, residents of the Big Easy have chosen May 7 as the day to celebrate the birth of New Orleans. Really, this city doesn’t need an excuse to throw a party, but this one’s going to be big.Desktop Version
An island in the Highlands
An island in the Highlands
Here in the Scottish Highlands, there"s something about the rugged environs of Glen Etive that has tickled the imaginations of both ancient and modern storytellers. A glen is a long, narrow valley and this one is especially beautiful. It has strange footnotes in both Irish and Scottish folklore. The name itself translates to "little fierce one" and was given in honor of Etive, the Gaelic goddess long associated with Loch Etive.Desktop Version
A path to access
A path to access
Here"s an example of cutting-edge form meeting practical function. This snakelike bridge, the brainchild of famed architect Frank Gehry, provides a meandering and safe path over a busy thoroughfare that separates Millennium Park and Maggie Daley Park in downtown Chicago. With a gentle 5% slope, the 935-foot bridge is accessible for people who use wheelchairs or have trouble navigating stairs, and that"s the main reason why we"re featuring it on our homepage today. Thirty years ago to the day, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans With Disabilities Act. This sweeping civil rights bill prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities at work, in school, and in public spaces. The resulting law meant that much of the country"s physical infrastructure, like this elegantly curving bridge, was required to accommodate people with disabilities.Desktop Version
An uncommon look at an American icon
An uncommon look at an American icon
The tallest building in the world when it was completed in 1884, the Washington Monument was meant to capture the respect and gratitude American citizens have for our first president. The journey to build the obelisk was long and arduous, including a 23-year gap in the construction. According to Mark Twain, the incomplete monument looked like ‘a factory chimney with the top broken off.’ On this day in 1876 the Washington Monument was accepted into the National Park System, and today it’s one of the most recognizable buildings in the US.Desktop Version
Whangārei Falls in New Zealand
Whangārei Falls in New Zealand
This lush, Eden-esque location on New Zealand"s North Island has been a popular spot to bring a blanket and picnic basket for generations of Kiwis. Whangārei Falls is part of the Hātea River. At the falls, the river drops 85 feet over a basalt lava flow. The surrounding park provides a loop trail ideal for a hike along the edge of the river.Desktop Version
Time for brass bands and beer
Time for brass bands and beer
Our photo today shows the crowds at an Oktoberfest parade reflected in the bell of a brass horn. In Munich, Germany, the 16-day festival will include many brass bands marching and playing celebratory Bavarian folk music, while other bands will play for the beer drinkers in the tents and beer halls that dot the festival grounds. Why call it ‘Oktoberfest’ when it begins in September? The original Oktoberfest began on October 12, 1810, as a massive one-day royal wedding celebration open to the public. On October 12 the following year, Munich citizens commemorated the wedding with another party, and an annual tradition was born. The festivities grew longer and longer each year over the course of two centuries, and Oktoberfest eventually extended into the weeks before the original date. Organizers supported the earlier start to take advantage of better weather in late September, but the party will forever be known as Oktoberfest.Desktop Version
Welcome to ‘Hollywood North’
Welcome to ‘Hollywood North’
Today our travels take us to Toronto, the vibrant urban powerhouse of Ontario, Canada. Our photo shows the 2007 addition to the Royal Ontario Museum, a building known as The Crystal. The museum may not be terribly busy today, as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is in full swing right now. If we’ve inspired you to cash in some frequent-flyer miles, bring some sensible walking shoes for the museum, and maybe something red-carpet worthy for TIFF.Desktop Version