Wikipedia:Picture of the day/Archive
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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 22
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The Malabar pied hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus) is a species of bird in the hornbill family, Bucerotidae. It is found in Sri Lanka and parts of India, where it inhabits low-altitude forests, particularly near rivers, as well as plantations. The species is omnivorous, feeding on fruit and small animals, with figs forming an important part of its diet. This female Malabar pied hornbill in flight was photographed in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka. Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
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September 21
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Vertumnus is a 1591 oil painting by the Italian artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo, depicting Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, as Vertumnus, the Roman god of changing seasons, gardens, fruit trees, and plant growth. Rudolf's portrait is composed of fruits, vegetables and flowers, and combines visual humour with political allegory, presenting him as a ruler possessing harmony with and power over nature. Seized by Swedish forces after the Thirty Years' War, the painting is now held at Skokloster Castle in Sweden. Painting credit: Giuseppe Arcimboldo
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September 20
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The Lambert conformal conic projection is a conic map projection introduced by the Swiss mathematician Johann Heinrich Lambert in 1772. It is widely used for aeronautical charts because straight lines closely approximate great-circle routes over typical flight distances. It is also employed in national and regional mapping systems, including the State Plane Coordinate System in the United States and Lambert-93 in Metropolitan France. This world map in the Lambert conformal conic projection has standard parallels at 20°N and 50°N, and a 15° graticule. The projection extends toward infinity southwards, and so has been cut off at 30°S on this map. Map credit: Daniel R. Strebe
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September 19
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The springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) is a medium-sized antelope found mainly in the dry areas of southern and southwestern Africa. A slender, long-legged bovid, it reaches 71 to 86 centimetres (28 to 34 in) at the shoulder and weighs between 27 and 42 kilograms (60 and 93 lb). Both sexes have a pair of long black horns that curve backwards, a white face, a dark stripe running from the eyes to the mouth, a light-brown coat with a reddish-brown stripe, and a white rump flap. Primarily browsing at dawn and dusk, it can live without drinking water for years, subsisting on succulent vegetation. Breeding peaks in the rainy season, when food is more abundant. A single calf is weaned at nearly six months of age and leaves its mother a few months later. Springbok herds in the Kalahari Desert and the semi-arid Karoo used to migrate in large numbers across the countryside, and it is one of the few with an expanding population. The springbok is the national animal of South Africa. This juvenile springbok was photographed in Etosha National Park, Namibia. Photograph credit: Giles Laurent
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September 18
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Saint Sarkis Cathedral is an Armenian Apostolic cathedral in Tehran, Iran, named after Saint Sarkis the Warrior. Built between 1964 and 1970, it is the cathedral of the Armenian Diocese of Tehran and the largest church in the city. The single-nave concrete building is clad in white marble and has a hexagonal dome, two belfries and a semicircular altar decorated with biblical paintings. The church was renovated in 2000. Its courtyard contains a white-marble memorial to the Armenian genocide, unveiled in 1973. This photograph shows the facade of Saint Sarkis Cathedral in 2016. Photograph credit: Diego Delso
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September 17
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Space Shuttle Enterprise was the first orbiter of the United States' Space Shuttle program, built by Rockwell International for NASA and unveiled on September 17, 1976. Originally named Constitution, it was renamed following a campaign by Star Trek fans, taking the name of the fictional USS Enterprise, itself named after the World War II aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. Lacking engines and a functional heat shield, Space Shuttle Enterprise was incapable of spaceflight. It completed eight crewed flights in 1977, during five of which it was released from a modified Boeing 747 and glided to a landing. Plans to refit it for orbital missions were abandoned, and since 2012 it has been displayed at the Intrepid Museum in New York City. This 1976 photograph shows Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry (third from right, in dark brown), members of the Star Trek cast, and NASA administrators attending Enterprise's rollout ceremony at Rockwell's plant in Palmdale, California. Photograph credit: NASA
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September 16
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The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Found across much of the Northern Hemisphere, it has dark-brown plumage with a golden-brown crown and nape, broad wings and powerful talons. The species inhabits mainly open and mountainous country across Eurasia, North America and parts of North Africa. It hunts a variety of prey, particularly hares, rabbits, marmots and other small mammals. Pairs of golden eagles usually mate for life, and build large nests on cliffs or other elevated sites. The species has long been used in falconry and remains culturally significant in several parts of its range. This golden eagle in flight was photographed near the Gemmi Pass in Switzerland. Photograph credit: Giles Laurent
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September 15
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Sunita Williams (born 1965) is an American former NASA astronaut and retired United States Navy captain. Selected as an astronaut in 1998, she first flew to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2006. Williams returned in 2012 for Expedition 32 and Expedition 33, and commanded the latter. In 2024, she became the first woman to fly on a flight test of an orbital spacecraft, aboard the Boeing Crew Flight Test. Technical problems with this mission stranded Williams and her crewmate Butch Wilmore on the ISS for more than nine months. Williams has completed nine spacewalks totalling 62 hours and 6 minutes, the greatest cumulative spacewalking time by a woman. This official NASA portrait, taken in 2004, shows Williams wearing an Extravehicular Mobility Unit. Photograph credit: NASA
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September 14
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A Trip to the Moon is a 1902 French science-fiction adventure film written, directed and produced by Georges Méliès, who also stars as Professor Barbenfouillis alongside an ensemble cast of French theatrical performers. Inspired principally by novels by Jules Verne, it depicts a group of astronomers travelling to the Moon in a cannon-propelled capsule, encountering the native Selenites, and returning to Earth. The film employed innovative special effects, including substitution splices, multiple exposure and stage machinery, and was an international success when it was released. After falling into obscurity following Méliès's retirement, it was rediscovered around 1930. The image of the capsule striking the Man in the Moon's eye has become one of cinema's most iconic images. Film credit: Georges Méliès
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September 13
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The salema porgy (Sarpa salpa) is a species of marine ray-finned fish in the seabream and porgy family, Sparidae. It has a silvery body with eight to ten horizontal golden lines and a black spot at the base of the pectoral fin, and can sometimes reach more than 50 cm (20 in) in length. The species occurs in the eastern Atlantic from the Bay of Biscay to South Africa, as well as the Mediterranean Sea, at depths of up to 70 m (230 ft). It is largely herbivorous, feeding principally on seagrasses and algae, and is a protandrous hermaphrodite, changing from male to female. Consumption can sometimes cause ichthyoallyeinotoxism poisoning, resulting in auditory and visual hallucinations. This salema porgy was photographed in Catania, Sicily, Italy. Photograph credit: Diego Delso
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September 12
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The Wounded Angel is a 1903 painting by Finnish symbolist artist Hugo Simberg. It depicts two boys carrying an injured angel, who has a bandaged forehead and a bloodied wing. The scene is set in Eläintarha, Helsinki, with Töölönlahti Bay in the background. Simberg declined to explain the painting's meaning, preferring viewers to form their own interpretations. He later produced a larger version of the painting as a fresco in Tampere Cathedral. Held by the Ateneum in Helsinki, the painting was voted Finland's "national painting" in a 2006 poll held by the museum. Painting credit: Hugo Simberg
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September 11
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The World Trade Center was a large complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The complex featured landmark twin towers, which opened on April 4, 1973, and were the tallest buildings in the world from 1970 to 1973. On the morning of September 11, 2001, hijackers affiliated with al-Qaeda flew two Boeing 767 jets into the twin towers in a coordinated act of terrorism. After burning for 56 minutes, the South Tower collapsed, followed 29 minutes later by the North Tower. Falling debris and fires led to the partial or complete collapse of all other buildings in the complex and caused catastrophic damage to surrounding structures. The attacks killed 2,606 people in and around the towers, as well as all 157 on board the two aircraft. This aerial photograph by Carol M. Highsmith, taken earlier in 2001, shows the World Trade Center twin towers dominating the New York City skyline, with Battery Park City in the foreground on the waterfront of the Hudson River. Photograph credit: Carol M. Highsmith; edited by Soerfm
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September 10
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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
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September 9
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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
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September 8
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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
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September 7
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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
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September 6
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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
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September 5
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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
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September 4
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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
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September 3
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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
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September 2
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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
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September 1
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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
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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
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August 30
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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
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August 29
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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
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August 28
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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
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August 27
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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
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August 26
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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
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August 25
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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
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August 24
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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
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