Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park, California, United States Feb. 20, 2026

Today we celebrate the birthday of Ansel Adams, an American photographer whose vision helped shape the world"s perception of Yosemite National Park, which lies just across the border in California. Yosemite is renowned for its granite walls, dramatic waterfalls and striking light, all of which have inspired generations of artists. One of its most intriguing sights is the Firefall, a term that refers to two distinct events in the park"s history. For decades, visitors gathered at Glacier Point to watch an artificial Firefall, in which embers were pushed off the cliff in a glowing stream of fire.

© Jorge Villalba/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Where is this majestic museum?
Feb. 20, 2024Kinder Scout, Peak District National Park, UK
Feb. 20, 2025Red deer, Canada

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Feb. 12, 2024Volcán Alcedo giant tortoise, Isabela Island
Jul. 18, 2025Orosei, Sardinia, Italy
Jan. 11, 2024Eurasian lynx
Jan. 5, 2026A herd of impalas, Londolozi Game Reserve, South Africa
Feb. 5, 2024Monarch butterflies, Goleta, California
This museum sets the prairie on fire
Napping near the North Pole
‘Only one Earth’
Aug. 3, 2025Blooming sunflowers
Jan. 18, 2026White Sands National Park, New Mexico, United States
Mar. 18, 2024Elephant Rock, Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
Nov. 10, 2024Caribbean flamingos, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
Red rock country
Fresh finds in Fraser Valley
A public restroom or a tourist spot?
Jan. 26, 2025European beech forest, Belgium
A modern recreation
Jun. 8, 2025World Oceans Day
Jan. 2, 2024Prayer flags in Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan
9,000-year-old handprints
Oct. 10, 2024Ancient town of Sorano, Tuscany, Italy
Feb. 23, 2026Great white egret, Upper Bavaria, Germany
History awaits atop the hill
As curious about you as you are about them
Hop into Lunar New Year
Reddy for winter
Sep. 6, 2024Glenariff Forest Park, Northern Ireland, UK
Sep. 3, 2025Grizzly bears at Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska, United States
Isn’t this view mesmerizing?
May 17, 2024Endangered Species Day