Wikipedia:Picture of the day/Archive
Featured picture tools: |
These featured pictures, as scheduled below, appeared as the picture of the day (POTD) on the English Wikipedia's Main Page in the last 30 days.
You can add an automatically updating POTD template to your user page using {{Pic of the day}} (version with blurb) or {{POTD}} (version without blurb). For instructions on how to make custom POTD layouts, see Wikipedia:Picture of the day.
September 10
.jpg) |
The lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) is a medium-sized shorebird in the sandpiper family, Scolopacidae. It is migratory, breeding in the wetlands of the boreal forest across Alaska and northern Canada, and wintering in a region from coastal North America through Central America, the Caribbean and South America. It is 23–25 cm (9.1–9.8 in) long with a wingspan of 59–64 cm (23–25 in), and has yellow legs and a slender, straight bill. The species forages actively in shallow water and on land, feeding mainly on invertebrates, small fish and crustaceans. Both parents incubate the eggs and care for the young. It is classified as a vulnerable species by the IUCN, with threats including hunting during migration, habitat loss and degradation, and the possible effects of climate change on its breeding habitat. This lesser yellowlegs was photographed in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, New York City, United States. Photograph credit: Rhododendrites
Recently featured:
|
September 9
 |
Chief Joseph (1840–1904), also known as Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt, was a leader of the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce people in the northwestern United States. He succeeded his father, Old Chief Joseph, in 1871, and resisted efforts to remove his people from their ancestral homeland in the Wallowa Valley. During the Nez Perce War of 1877, Joseph and other leaders guided hundreds of Nez Perce for more than 1,170 miles (1,900 km) while pursued by the United States Army before they were surrounded near the Canadian border. He later campaigned for his people's return home, but remained on the Colville Indian Reservation, where he died in 1904. This portrait photograph of Chief Joseph was taken by the American photographer Edward S. Curtis in 1903. Photograph credit: Edward S. Curtis; restored by Adam Cuerden
Recently featured:
|
September 8
 |
Lilium bulbiferum, commonly known as the orange lily, is a herbaceous European lily in the family Liliaceae. It grows to an average height of 20 to 90 cm (7.9 to 35.4 in), occasionally reaching 120 cm (47 in), and bears one to five scentless, bright yellow-orange flowers with reddish-brown dots. Flowering occurs from May through July. The species is widely distributed across Europe from Spain to Finland and Ukraine. It has also been recognised as a symbol of the Orange Order in Northern Ireland. The plant is toxic to cats, and ingestion can be fatal. This flower of the variety L. b. var. bulbiferum was photographed near Mitterbach am Erlaufsee, Austria. Photograph credit: Uoaei1
Recently featured:
|
September 7
.jpg) |
The proboscis bat (Rhynchonycteris naso) is a species of bat in the family Emballonuridae, found in Central America and northern South America. It is a small bat, with a head-and-body length of 37 to 43 mm (1.5 to 1.7 in) and a weight of 2.1 to 4.3 g (0.074 to 0.152 oz). It inhabits lowland areas, including forests, caves and other underground habitats, and seldom occurs above elevations of 300 m (1,000 ft). The proboscis bat feeds on insects, including mosquitoes, beetles and caddisflies, caught over water. This photograph shows three proboscis bats camouflaged against a tree branch in Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica. Photograph credit: Rhododendrites
Recently featured:
|
September 6
 |
|
Portland is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in the Pacific Northwest at the confluence of the Willamette River and the Columbia River, it had a population of 652,503 at the 2020 census. The area was inhabited by Chinookan peoples before European American settlers arrived in the 1840s, and the city was named after Portland, Maine, following a coin toss. Portland became a port and lumber center during the 19th century, and the region's economic activity includes shipping, transportation, technology and sporting-goods manufacture. Nicknamed the "City of Roses", it is known for its parks, environmentalism and music scene. This photograph, taken in 1898, shows Downtown Portland with the Willamette River in the foreground and the West Hills in the background. The tallest building in the city at the time was the Oregonian Building, visible in the center of the image. Photograph credit: Herbert A. Hale; restored by Adam Cuerden
Recently featured:
|
September 5
 |
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of rock music, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and four-octave vocal range. Mercury defied the conventions of a rock frontman with his theatrical style, influencing the artistic direction of Queen. Born in 1946 in Zanzibar to Parsi-Indian parents, Mercury attended British boarding schools in India from the age of eight and returned to Zanzibar after secondary school. In 1964, his family fled the Zanzibar Revolution, moving to Middlesex, England. Having previously studied and written music, he formed Queen in 1970 with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. Mercury wrote numerous hits for Queen, including "Killer Queen", "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Somebody to Love", "We Are the Champions", "Don't Stop Me Now" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". His charismatic stage performances often saw him interact with the audience, as displayed at the 1985 Live Aid concert. This photograph shows Mercury performing in New Haven, Connecticut in 1977. Photograph credit: Carl Lender; restored by Lošmi
Recently featured:
|
September 4
_and_goslings_Burgerpark.jpg) |
|
The Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) is a member of the Anatidae family native to Sub-Saharan Africa and the Nile valley. It inhabits open or semi-open habitats, typically near fresh water, and feeds on cereal crops, leaves, grasses, and occasionally small animals. Adults measure 63–73 cm (25–29 in) in length. Introduced populations are established in parts of Europe and the United States, and the species can sometimes become invasive. Egyptian geese form long-term pairs, with both parents caring for their young, and can be highly territorial when breeding. It is classified as a least-concern species by the IUCN. This Egyptian goose adult with goslings was photographed in Bürgerpark, Bremen, Germany. Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
Recently featured:
|
September 3
 |
|
The Great Day of His Wrath is an 1851–1853 oil painting by the English artist John Martin. Inspired by the Book of Revelation, it depicts the destruction of Babylon and the material world in a cataclysm. Various influences and interpretations have been suggested: Martin's son said that it was inspired by a night journey through the industrial Black Country, while the art historian Frances Carey linked its theme to the rapid growth of 19th-century London. The painting is now in the collection of Tate Britain in London. Photograph credit: John Martin
Recently featured:
|
September 2
 |
|
The atmosphere of Pluto is the layer of gases surrounding the dwarf planet Pluto. It consists mainly of nitrogen, with smaller amounts of methane and carbon monoxide, produced by the sublimation of surface ices. Its surface pressure is about 100,000 times lower than that of Earth's atmosphere, and varies with Pluto's seasons and orbit. The atmosphere contains a multi-layered haze, probably formed from compounds produced when atmospheric gases react under high-energy radiation. Its temperature rises rapidly above the surface before gradually falling at higher altitudes. Pluto's atmosphere was confirmed through a stellar occultation in 1988 and studied at close range by the New Horizons spacecraft during its 2015 flyby. This New Horizons photograph, taken 15 minutes after the spacecraft's closest approach on July 14, 2015, shows more than a dozen layers of haze in Pluto's atmosphere, backlit by the Sun. The surface shows rugged, icy mountains and flat ice plains extending to the horizon. The image was taken from a distance of 11,000 miles (18,000 km) to Pluto; the scene is 780 miles (1,250 km) wide. Photograph credit: NASA / JHUAPL / SwRI
Recently featured:
|
September 1
.jpg) |
|
Natrix maura, commonly known as the viperine snake or the viperine water snake, is a semiaquatic natricine snake in the family Colubridae. It is found in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa, where it inhabits terrestrial and aquatic habitats, including forests, shrublands and inland wetlands. It feeds on fish, frogs and other aquatic animals and spends much of its time hunting in water. Grey, brown or reddish in colour, it has a distinctive black zigzag pattern resembling that of an adder, although it is not a true viper. Adults can reach up to 85 cm (33 in) in length. It is classified as a least-concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, although its numbers are declining. Threats include aquatic pollution, habitat alteration and wetland loss. This photograph shows an N. maura snake swimming in Extremadura, Spain. Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp |
August 31
 |
Joseph and Potiphar's Wife is a 1634 etching by the Dutch artist Rembrandt. Described as "unprecedented in its erotic candor", it depicts an episode from the Book of Genesis in which the wife of the Egyptian officer Potiphar attempts to seduce Joseph, who rejects her advances and flees as she grabs his garment. She later uses the garment to falsely accuse him of assaulting her, leading to his imprisonment. Rembrandt shows Joseph recoiling and averting his eyes as Potiphar's partially nude wife reaches towards him from her bed, and the artist may have intended moral implications in the contrast of light and shadow between the two subjects. Multiple layers of hatching create the darker areas of the print. The etching is now in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Etching credit: Rembrandt
Recently featured:
|
August 30
 |
The 2020–2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan concluded the United States' twenty-year military involvement in the country. The withdrawal followed a 2020 agreement between the first Trump administration and the Taliban under which US and allied forces were to leave Afghanistan. Joe Biden continued the withdrawal after becoming president in 2021. As foreign forces departed, the Taliban launched a major offensive against the US-trained Afghan military, capturing Kabul on 15 August. This photograph, taken by US Army photographer Alexander Burnett on 30 August, shows Major General Chris Donahue, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, just before boarding a C-17 cargo plane at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. Donahue was the final US soldier to leave Afghanistan, completing the US troop withdrawal. Photograph credit: Alexander Burnett
Recently featured:
|
August 29
_Sydney.jpg) |
The rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It is found along the east coast of Australia, from northern Queensland to South Australia, and inhabits forest, shrubland, wetlands and some artificial habitats. It feeds mainly on fruit, pollen and nectar, using a specialised tongue to gather pollen and nectar from flowers. Clutches contain one to three eggs, which are incubated for around 25 days by the female alone. The species is classified as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This rainbow lorikeet of the subspecies T. m. moluccanus was photographed in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
Recently featured:
|
August 28
 |
|
The Capitoline Wolf is a bronze sculpture depicting a scene from the legend of the founding of Rome, in which the mythical founders, Romulus and Remus, are suckled by a she-wolf. Long believed to be an Etruscan work of the 5th century BC, the work has more recently been dated by some scientific analyses to the Middle Ages, although its age remains disputed. The figures of the twins were added in the late 15th century, probably by Antonio del Pollaiuolo. The sculpture has been displayed since 1471 in the Palazzo dei Conservatori of the Capitoline Museums in Rome. The image of the wolf and twins has become one of the city's best-known symbols and has been reproduced in numerous statues worldwide. Sculpture credit: unknown (wolf); Antonio del Pollaiuolo (twins); photographed by Wilfredor
Recently featured:
|
August 27
 |
Pedro II (1825–1891) was the second and final emperor of Brazil, reigning from 1831 until his deposition in a military coup in 1889. He became emperor aged five after the abdication of his father, Pedro I, and was declared of age in 1840. His reign saw political stability, greater freedom of speech, economic growth and victories in the Platine War, the Uruguayan War and the Paraguayan War. Pedro supported the abolition of slavery in Brazil, and promoted education, science and culture. After being overthrown, he was sent into exile in Europe, where he lived modestly. He died in Paris in 1891, and his remains were returned to Brazil in 1921. This photograph of Pedro was taken in 1891, the year of his death, by the French photographer Nadar. Photograph credit: Nadar; restored by Adam Cuerden
Recently featured:
|
August 26
 |
Lophocampa caryae, commonly known as the hickory tiger moth or the hickory tussock moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae, found widely across eastern North America. Its hairy caterpillars feed principally on hickory, pecan and walnut, as well as various other trees and plants. The larvae are mostly white, with black tufts and long black hair. Contact with their microscopically barbed hairs can cause contact dermatitis. The species has one generation annually, with adults typically flying during May and June. This L. caryae caterpillar was photographed by the Grand River in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Photograph credit: The Cosmonaut
Recently featured:
|
August 25
 |
Dracaena cinnabari, also known as the Socotra dragon tree or the dragon blood tree, is a species of dragon tree native to the island of Socotra, part of Yemen, in the Arabian Sea. Growing to a height of 9 metres (30 ft), it develops a distinctive umbrella-shaped crown adapted to the arid conditions of its habitat. The tree produces a dark-red resin known as dragon's blood, historically used as a dye, medicine and varnish. The species is threatened by overgrazing, habitat degradation and increasing aridity, and is classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This D. cinnabari tree was photographed on the Diksam Plateau on Socotra. Photograph credit: Alex38
Recently featured:
|
August 24
 |
|
Erzi is a medieval aul (fortified village) in Dzheyrakhsky District in Ingushetia, Russia. Situated at an elevation of 1,315 metres (4,314 ft) above sea level on the right bank of the Armkhi, it is known for its complex of Ingush towers, used for combat and accommodation, which was reconstructed between 2012 and 2015. The settlement's name means 'eagle' in the Ingush language, and local tradition associates its foundation with an eagle's nest. In 1931, the 8th-century bronze Suleyman's Eagle was discovered at Erzi; it is now in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. This photograph shows the site of Erzi, with its reconstructed towers, in 2017. Photograph credit: Vyacheslav Argenberg
Recently featured:
|
August 23
 |
The brown parrotbill (Paradoxornis unicolor), also known as the brown suthora, is a species of bird in the parrotbill family, Paradoxornithidae. It is found in the central and eastern Himalayas. Measuring 17 to 19 cm (6.7 to 7.5 in) in length, it is grey-brown with a long tail, a small yellowish parrot-like bill, and a dark stripe above the eyes and along the sides of the crown. It occurs in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar and Nepal, moving in small groups and sometimes joining mixed-species foraging flocks. Originally described by Brian Houghton Hodgson, its closest relative is the three-toed parrotbill. This brown parrotbill was photographed in Darjeeling, in the Indian state of West Bengal. Photograph credit: Tisha Mukherjee
Recently featured:
|
August 22
 |
Claude Debussy (22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He was seen, during his lifetime and afterwards, as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born to a family of modest means, he was admitted at the age of 10 to France's leading music college, the Conservatoire de Paris. He originally studied the piano, but found his vocation in innovative composition, despite the disapproval of the Conservatoire's conservative professors. He took many years to develop his mature style, and was nearly 40 before achieving international fame in 1902 with the only opera he completed, Pelléas et Mélisande. Debussy developed his own style in the use of harmony and orchestral colouring. His works have strongly influenced a wide range of composers, including Béla Bartók, Olivier Messiaen, George Benjamin and the jazz pianist and composer Bill Evans. This photograph of Debussy was taken by the studio of the French photographer Nadar around 1900. Photograph credit: Nadar; restored by Adam Cuerden
Recently featured:
|
August 21
 |
|
An aurora is a natural light display in Earth's upper atmosphere, caused by charged particles from the Sun colliding with atmospheric atoms. The collisions excite oxygen and nitrogen, producing colours including green, red and purple. Auroras occur mainly in high-latitude regions: the Arctic aurora is called the aurora borealis or the northern lights, while its Antarctic counterpart is the aurora australis or the southern lights. They can also occasionally appear at much lower latitudes. Forms of aurora include glows, patches, arcs, rays and coronas, consistent with auroras being shaped by Earth's magnetic field. This photograph shows an aurora borealis over Tuntorp in Lysekil Municipality, Sweden, caused by a geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Photograph credit: Ann-Sophie Qvarnström
Recently featured:
|
August 20
_Ranomafana.jpg) |
|
Calumma fallax, also known as the deceptive chameleon, is a species of chameleon endemic to eastern Madagascar. It is a medium-sized species, with males measuring 43 to 51 mm (1.7 to 2.0 in) and females 41 to 51 mm (1.6 to 2.0 in) in snout–vent length. First described by François Mocquard in 1900, it was transferred to the genus Calumma in 1986. Its population size and trend are unknown, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies it as data deficient. Its habitat is affected by slash-and-burn agriculture, bushfires and logging. This C. fallax chameleon was photographed on a branch in Ranomafana National Park in southeastern Madagascar. Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
Recently featured:
|
August 19
|
The Kid is a 1921 American silent comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by Charlie Chaplin, who stars alongside Jackie Coogan. Chaplin plays The Tramp, who finds an abandoned baby and raises him as his son. Five years later, the pair support themselves through a scheme in which the boy breaks windows and the Tramp repairs them. The film was Chaplin's first feature-length work as a director and made Coogan a major child star. A commercial and critical success, The Kid is considered one of the greatest films of the silent era. It was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2011. Film credit: Charlie Chaplin
Recently featured:
|
August 18
 |
The Scream is an art composition first created by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch in 1893. Its imagery has been interpreted as expressing the anxiety of modern humanity and influenced the Expressionist movement. Munch described walking at sunset when the sky turned blood red and sensing an "infinite scream passing through nature". He produced four versions, two in paint and two in pastel, as well as a lithograph. The 1895 pastel sold at auction for nearly US$120 million in 2012. Versions of The Scream were stolen from museums in Oslo in 1994 and 2004; both were later recovered. This 1893 painted version of The Scream features the barely visible pencil inscription Kan kun være malet af en gal Mand! ('could only have been painted by a madman'), and is in the collection of the National Museum of Norway in Oslo. Painting credit: Edvard Munch
Recently featured:
|
August 17
_dark_morph.jpg) |
The western reef heron (Egretta gularis), also known as the western reef egret, is a medium-sized bird in the heron family, Ardeidae. It is found mainly along coasts in Africa and parts of Europe and Asia. The species occurs in white, dark grey and intermediate plumage forms. It feeds on fish, crustaceans and molluscs, stalking or ambushing prey in shallow water. The western reef heron breeds in coastal wetlands, nesting colonially on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs and typically laying three or four eggs. Two subspecies are commonly recognised: E. g. gularis and E. g. schistacea. It was first described by Louis Augustin Guillaume Bosc in 1792. This western reef heron of the subspecies schistacea was photographed at Dohat Arad Lagoon, Muharraq, Bahrain. Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
Recently featured:
|
August 16
 |
|
The Royal Palace of Amsterdam is a royal residence in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Opened in 1655 as a town hall, its main architect was Jacob van Campen, who designed the building in the Dutch Baroque style. Louis Bonaparte became King of Holland in 1806 and established his court in Amsterdam, turning the town hall into a palace; it has been used by Dutch monarchs since then, although their main residence is Huis ten Bosch in The Hague. The Royal Palace of Amsterdam is used for entertaining and official functions during state visits and other official receptions, such as New Year receptions. This photograph shows the facade of the Royal Palace as seen from Dam Square in 2016. Photograph credit: Diego Delso
Recently featured:
|
August 15
 |
Keir Hardie (15 August 1856 – 26 September 1915) was a Scottish trade unionist and politician. He was a founder of the Labour Party, and was the first parliamentary leader of the Labour Party from 1906 to 1908. Hardie was born in Newhouse, Lanarkshire. He started working at the age of seven, and from the age of ten worked in the Lanarkshire coal mines. With a background in preaching, he became known as a talented public speaker and was chosen as a spokesman for his fellow miners. Hardie initially supported William Ewart Gladstone's Liberal Party, but later concluded that the working class needed its own party. He first stood for election to Parliament in 1888 as an independent, and later that year helped form the Scottish Labour Party. Hardie won the English seat of West Ham South as an independent candidate in 1892, and helped to form the Independent Labour Party the following year. He lost his seat in 1895, but was re-elected to Parliament in 1900 for Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales. During the same year, he helped to form the union-based Labour Representation Committee, which was later renamed the Labour Party. This photograph of Hardie was taken by George Grantham Bain in 1909. Photograph credit: George Grantham Bain; restored by Adam Cuerden
Recently featured:
|
August 14
 |
|
Saint Patrick's Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi, and is located near the Empress Market in Saddar, a neighbourhood of Karachi, Pakistan. The cathedral was completed in 1881 and can accommodate 1,500 worshippers. It celebrated its centenary in 1978. In December 1998, the interior of the cathedral was partially damaged in a bomb attack that also injured one woman. This photograph of the interior of Saint Patrick's Cathedral, looking towards the high altar, was taken in 2020. Photograph credit: Alexander Savin
Recently featured:
|
August 13
 |
The addax (Addax nasomaculatus), also known as the white antelope, is a species of antelope in the subfamily Hippotraginae, native to the Sahara. It is adapted to some of the world's most arid environments and can survive for long periods without drinking water. The addax has a pale coat, distinctive facial markings, and long, spirally twisted horns. It lives in small herds and feeds mainly on grasses and other desert vegetation. Once widespread across North Africa, the species has declined drastically because of overhunting, drought, and habitat loss, and is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Wild populations are now concentrated in Chad, Mauritania, and Niger. This male addax was pictured in the Safia Acclimatization Station, south of Dakhla, Western Sahara. Photograph credit: Haytem Bouchri
Recently featured:
|
August 12
s.jpg) |
|
The clementine (Citrus × clementina) is a sweet citrus fruit that is a hybrid of the willowleaf mandarin and the orange. It was discovered in the late 19th century in Misserghin, Algeria, in the garden of the French missionary Clément Rodier, after whom it was named. Clementines have smooth, glossy, deep-orange skin, and are typically juicy, easy to peel, and divided into seven to fourteen segments. Major varieties include clemenules, Fina, Algerian, and Italian cultivars such as Clementine del Golfo di Taranto and Clementine di Calabria. Clementines are cultivated in many countries around the world and are sometimes sold as "easy-peelers". The fruit's essential oils contain mostly limonene. This composite focus-stacked photograph shows two seedless clementines, one unpeeled (left) and one peeled (right). Photograph credit: Rhododendrites
Recently featured:
|
Picture of the day archives and future dates