Balloon Ascension Day 9 Jan 2024

Balloon Ascension Day

Is your head in the clouds? It"s time to keep it there! Today is Balloon Ascension Day, an event dedicated to honouring the achievements of Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a French aeronaut and innovator who accomplished the first manned balloon voyage in America, from Philadelphia to Deptford, New Jersey, back in 1793. Since 2011, this day has been celebrated annually to pay tribute to this midair milestone. In today"s image, the sun sets over the Rio Grande and casts a light on the colourful hot air balloons above Albuquerque, New Mexico. Every year, people gather from all over the globe for the nine-day-long Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta—the largest hot air balloon festival in the world—to see skilled pilots expertly manoeuvre their baskets.

© Jennifer MacCornack/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Castle in the sky
9 Jan 2025Sossusvlei sand dunes, Namib desert, Namibia
9 Jan 2026Muir Woods National Monument, California, United States

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 11, 2023Patriot Day
Grand slam tournament
12 Aug 2025World Elephant Day
7 Oct 2023Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA
14 Apr 2024Bowling Ball Beach, California, USA
Whats blooming so brightly?
World Rivers Day
A window to the Pacific
2 Nov 2024American bison in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
A warm hug in the icy north
6 Jan 2025Flooded crypt, Basilica of San Francesco, Ravenna, Italy
4 Mar 2024Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
11 Jan 2025Heri es-Swani in Meknes, Morocco
28 Jul 2025World Nature Conservation Day
24 Nov 2025Gwalior Fort, Madhya Pradesh, India
A view that’s out of this world
Were halfway there
26 Oct 2023Stormont Estate, Northern Ireland
27 Dec 2025Lake Superior, Grand Marais, Minnesota, United States
The world’s greatest oasis?
20 Jan 2026Penguin Awareness Day
14 Oct 2025Village of Oia in Santorini, Greece
26 Sep 2025Least chipmunk, Kootenai National Forest, Montana, United States
Sep 4, 2023Labor Day
11 May 2025Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada
16 Sep 2024Wallabies, Australia
3 Dec 2023Advent Sunday
Happy Mothers Day!
14 Jun 2024Peggys Cove Lighthouse, Canada
27 Jan 2025Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States