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

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 16, 2024Wallabies at sunrise, Australia
Oct 4, 2020Infrared Jupiter, erupting Io
Jun 21, 2024World Giraffe Day
Aug 14, 2022World Lizard Day
Dec 9, 2019Let s crack the code
Feb 18, 2021A river runs through it
Aug 27, 2018Tennis in the park
Jan 20, 2024Penguin Awareness Day
Dec 2, 2024Moose, Denali National Park, Alaska
Mar 2, 2024Modica, Sicily, Italy
Jun 6, 2022Indigo bunting
May 31, 2021Here we honor the women who ve served
Oct 19, 2024International Archaeology Day
Dec 20, 2019Tree of many colors
Feb 14, 2025Happy Valentines Day!
Dec 25, 2019Merry and bright
Nov 15, 2019Mesmerizing murmuration
Jul 9, 2025Independence Day of the Argentine Republic
Oct 19, 2023Mekong River Delta, Long An, Vietnam
Mar 24, 201930 years after Exxon Valdez
Aug 23, 2025St. Barbaras Cathedral, Kutná Hora, Czechia
Mar 25, 2025Tolkien Reading Day
Jul 15, 2022Arrone in Umbria, Italy
Nov 22, 2025Leshan Giant Buddha, Sichuan, China
Jan 22, 2025Ad-Deir, Petra, Jordan
Jan 17, 2023Muniellos Nature Reserve
May 18, 2022International Museum Day
May 29, 2018The first ascent
Mar 6, 2022Great cormorants
Mar 29, 2022Northern coast of Colombia