Balloon Ascension Day 9 Jan 2024

Balloon Ascension Day

Is your head in the clouds? It"s time to keep it there! Today is Balloon Ascension Day, an event dedicated to honouring the achievements of Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a French aeronaut and innovator who accomplished the first manned balloon voyage in America, from Philadelphia to Deptford, New Jersey, back in 1793. Since 2011, this day has been celebrated annually to pay tribute to this midair milestone. In today"s image, the sun sets over the Rio Grande and casts a light on the colourful hot air balloons above Albuquerque, New Mexico. Every year, people gather from all over the globe for the nine-day-long Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta—the largest hot air balloon festival in the world—to see skilled pilots expertly manoeuvre their baskets.

© Jennifer MacCornack/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Castle in the sky
9 Jan 2025Sossusvlei sand dunes, Namib desert, Namibia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Incan ingenuity
16 Nov 2023World Philosophy Day
23 Apr 2025Saint Georges Day
11 Sep 2024Rapa Nui National Park, Easter Island, Chile
17 Sep 2024Mid-Autumn Festival
28 Oct 2023Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
A curious little otter pup
1 Oct 2023Lake Bled, Slovenia
Whats blooming so brightly?
12 Jan 2024Bukhansan National Park, South Korea
A bevy of buzzers
19 Jul 2024A young jaguar on a riverbank, Pantanal, Brazil
Blending in nicely
17 Jun 2024Green-crowned brilliant hummingbird
Dream world
6 Feb 2024Lake Tahoe, USA
Aug 28, 2023Dubrovnik, Croatia
Bring the king cakes
5 Oct 2024Follow the teacher!
Ludlow aglow
The beauty of intricate carvings
14 Apr 2025Atlantic spotted dolphin near Santa Maria Island, Azores, Portugal
13 Feb 2024Pancake Day
29 Nov 2024Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France
7 Sep 2025Great North Run
4 Aug 2024San Gimignano, Siena, Italy
Doves of peace
31 Oct 2024Happy Halloween!
20 Oct 2023International Sloth Day
A kiss and a sigh