J.R.R. Tolkien Day Jan 3, 2026

J.R.R. Tolkien Day

Our picture of the day takes us to the Swiss village of Lauterbrunnen, where the Staubbach Falls shimmers in the distance beyond a quiet alpine valley. This is the landscape a young traveler, J.R.R. Tolkien, crossed during a hiking trip in 1911, long before he became the storyteller behind "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit." Its soaring cliffs, silver waterfalls, and crisp mountain air left a lasting impression and are believed to have inspired his vision of Rivendell, the elven refuge hidden deep in Middle-earth.

© pongnathee kluaythong/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jan 3, 2019How do ladybugs winter?
Jan 3, 2020 Field of Light at Sensorio by Bruce Munro
Jan 3, 2021An Alpine fairy-tale castle
Jan 3, 2022Lick Observatory
Jan 3, 2023Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
Jan 3, 2024J.R.R. Tolkien Day
Jan 3, 2025Happy Birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien!

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jun 7, 2025National Trails Day
May 11, 2021 The Crown of the Continent
Dec 7, 2025Pearl Harbor Day
Aug 26, 2025Trullo buildings in Alberobello, Apulia, Italy
Sep 9, 2019A toast to California!
Oct 29, 2022Sea Slug Day
Jul 18, 2019A learning garden
Jul 5, 2024Daintree Rainforest and Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia
Jan 9, 2018Great Fountain Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Aug 6, 2022San Francisco Bay salt flats
Mar 17, 2024St. Patricks Day
Jan 16, 2024Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta
Aug 25, 2019A desert arts pop-up, just popped up
Jun 17, 2023International Surfing Day
Jan 4, 2025Bản Giốc–Detian Falls, Vietnam
Apr 9, 2022Light show at the skatepark
Dec 11, 2023International Mountain Day
Feb 1, 2023Black History Month
May 31, 2020Welcome to the pack
Jul 28, 2019Road-trip worthy attraction in the heartland
Jun 22, 2022World Rainforest Day
Oct 7, 2021Great on so many levels
May 22, 2021Blue paradise on the Costa Brava
Oct 6, 2025Anshun Bridge, Chengdu, China
Mar 17, 2025Happy St. Patricks Day!
Oct 28, 2021Necropolis of Dargavs
Jun 12, 2022Big Bend National Park turns 78
Oct 15, 2025National Mushroom Day
Jun 11, 2019Installation art turns heads
Mar 12, 2024Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah