Balloon Ascension Day Jan 9, 2024

Balloon Ascension Day

Up, up, and away! Today is Balloon Ascension Day, celebrating the anniversary of the first manned balloon flight in North America. French aeronaut Jean-Pierre Blanchard"s flight took him from Philadelphia to Deptford, New Jersey, back in 1793. Interest in ballooning took off from there and today, hot air balloon festivals take place across the country, including Albuquerque, where today"s sunrise image was taken. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people attend the nine-day Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta—the largest hot air balloon festival in the world—to see skilled pilots expertly maneuver their baskets through balloon-filled skies.

© Jennifer MacCornack/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Jan 9, 2018Great Fountain Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Jan 9, 2019What, no escalator?
Jan 9, 2020Into the woods
Jan 9, 2021The stylish Spanish shawl
Jan 9, 2022Rice processing in Bangladesh
Jan 9, 2023Wind Cave National Park celebrates 120 years
Jan 9, 2025Remembering Jimmy Carter
Jan 9, 2026Muir Woods National Monument anniversary

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 11, 2020In honor of those we ve lost
Aug 5, 2023Atlantic puffin, Iceland
Jul 11, 2022World Population Day
Apr 2, 2021White dunes, blue lagoons
Aug 1, 2019Hawaii Volcanoes National Park turns 103
Dec 26, 2020Happy Boxing Day!
Jul 31, 2023Rock House in Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio
Aug 22, 2023Amphitheatre of El Jem, Tunisia
Oct 19, 2018Portland celebrates its bounty
Jun 4, 2018Lighting it up for Vivid Sydney
Jul 29, 2018A Bengal tiger in Ranthambore National Park, India
May 28, 2021Freeloaders of the avian world
Jan 10, 2022Ski touring in Austria
Jul 29, 2021Hiding in plain sight
May 28, 2019Why’s it called a spelling ‘bee,’ anyhow?
Aug 28, 2021Relationship status: It s complicated
Mar 10, 2020A festival of colors
Mar 3, 2023Killer whales in Spildra, Norway
Feb 25, 2019High above the reef
Feb 21, 2019Sounds of Bach come to Bath
Jan 23, 2019Celebrating Pie Day is as easy as, well…
Sep 30, 2022Southern right whale
Apr 8, 2020Santorini through the clouds
Feb 8, 2019A winter light show
Apr 16, 2022National Park Week begins
Mar 22, 2021Honoring some real heroes of World War II
Mar 16, 2022Panda Day
Dec 20, 2021Ministry of Fun Santa School
Jan 17, 2022Martin Luther King Day
Oct 8, 2023World Octopus Day