With these dramatic clouds, the shardlike pinnacles of the Aiguille du Midi (Needle of Midday) resemble the spires of a ruined Alpine cathedral. This is just one of the many spectacular peaks of the Mont Blanc massif, the storied Alps range in eastern France that stretches across the border into Italy and Switzerland. It was here in France"s Chamonix valley that mountaineering became a sport in the mid-1700s. This dramatic peak was first summited in 1818, a feat that helped to popularize mountain climbing throughout Europe.
Atop the Needle of Chamonix
Today in History
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A towering view of the Pale Mountains
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What, no escalator?
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National Bird Day
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International Day of the Tropics
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World Water Day
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Tasmans Arch, Tasmania, Australia
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A traboule in Lyon, France
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International Bat Appreciation Day
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Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain
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Common raven
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Love blossoms
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That s quite a schnoz, baby tapir
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Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
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Cool water in the Quinault
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Cherry blossoms spring to life
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These laurels are hardy
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In the Red Sea for World Dolphin Day
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Mada in Saleh, Saudi Arabia
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Borrego Badlands
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A different kind of dive
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Burns Night
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The wild heart of Tasmania
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An emerald isle of the Emerald Isle
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Celebrating Flag Day: ‘O long may it wave’
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Reflecting on one of the world s strangest rivers
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Tesla, the visionary
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Death Valley National Park, California
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Kings Mountain, Chugach Mountains, Alaska
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Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park, Spain
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Poppies in bloom
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

