Art Installation of umbrellas, London, United Kingdom Feb 10, 2025

Art Installation of umbrellas, London, United Kingdom

Today"s image features one of the simplest yet most essential inventions in human history: the umbrella, or parasol. Over 4,000 years ago, in ancient Egypt, Assyria and China, these foldable canopies were first used to shield people from the sun. It wasn"t until the 17th century that the umbrella, as we know it today, gained popularity in Europe, initially as a luxury item primarily for women. Fast-forward a few centuries, and these weather shields have become a staple in pop culture, too. Remember Mary Poppins with her iconic umbrella that helped her fly, or Rihanna"s hit song "Umbrella"?

© Malcolm P Chapman/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Masterpiece of acoustic science
Feb 10, 2024Chinese New Year
Feb 10, 2026Es Vedrà and Es Vedranell, Ibiza, Spain

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr 15, 2024Centraal Station, Antwerp, Belgium
Stairway to heaven?
Jul 26, 2025International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem
Aug 24, 2025European fallow deer in England
Incan ingenuity
Nov 26, 2023Fallow deer, Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England
Dec 13, 2023Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands, Norway
Jul 13, 2024Fairy chimneys and cave dwellings in Cappadocia, Türkiye
Aug 28, 2023Dubrovnik, Croatia
Feb 18, 2024Sperm whale pod surfacing
Rebels of the owl world
What are these beautiful sandy waves?
Jan 10, 2024Mylopotamos, Thessaly, Greece
May 3, 2024The Sonoran Desert, Arizona, US
Jan 2, 2024Prayer flags in Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan
Apr 4, 2024Red lechwe, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Jul 19, 2025Luna moth in New Braunfels, Texas, United States
Jan 16, 2024Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Santa slalom
Mar 27, 2024Amber Fort, Jaipur
Sep 4, 2025Grizzly bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, United States
Oct 20, 2023Pygmy three-toed sloth baby, Isla Escudo de Veraguas, Panama
Dec 28, 2024Dudhsagar Falls, Goa
Dec 8, 2025Christmas lights on buildings of Domaso, Lake Como, Italy
Park of the Monsters
Pastel perfection
It’s puffling season!
Jul 17, 2024Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany
Jun 12, 2024Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA
Jan 20, 2024Macaroni penguins