A stroll above the stratosphere Mar 18, 2020

If this photo from 200-plus miles above Earth dizzies you, imagine how it felt to be Alexei Leonov on March 18, 1965. The Soviet cosmonaut achieved the first-ever extravehicular activity (EVA—but you and I just call it a spacewalk). He spent about 12 minutes outside the orbiting Voskhod 2 capsule. It was the ultimate risk: No one knew just what could happen to a human body in the vacuum of space. Near heatstroke, drenched with sweat, and with his suit dangerously inflating, Leonov barely made it back inside the airlock.

© NASA

palette

Today in History

Mar 18, 2018Christmas Tree Point Road and Twin Peaks, San Francisco
Mar 18, 2019Next stop, Tofino
Mar 18, 2021A sizzling summit hides in the clouds
Mar 18, 2022Holi festival
Mar 18, 2023Gamboa Crater, Mars
Mar 18, 2024Elephant Rock, Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
Mar 18, 2025Rock formations at Sedona, Arizona

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct 10, 2019A star blows a bubble
Oct 8, 2021An uncommonly cool critter
Aug 8, 2021Bridge to infinity
Apr 12, 2025International Day of Human Space Flight
Mar 4, 2021The most wonderful day of the year. Period.
Sep 4, 2019Social climbing
Sep 4, 2023Labor Day
Nov 25, 2018‘Ciao’ from Varenna
Jan 21, 2022National Hug Day
Mar 30, 2019Here’s why landmarks are going dark
Jan 14, 2020Going head-to-head with winter
Mar 1, 2020Casting a vote for women s history
Dec 24, 2025Christmas Eve
Jul 9, 2020High alpine color in Colorado
Jun 28, 2025Pride 2025
Nov 30, 2023Saint Andrews Day
Mar 12, 2020Fiesta at Siesta
Feb 28, 2021Tough turf
Jan 30, 2021Even nature needs a backup plan…
Dec 21, 2023Winter solstice
Jan 22, 2018Bird’s-eye view of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
Jan 30, 2023Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships
Feb 22, 2019A rest stop for the birds
Aug 17, 2018Illuminations on the Gulf of Poets
Feb 15, 2019Snow aglow in central Japan
Apr 28, 2021Coming home to roost
Nov 7, 2021Mack Arch Rock
Dec 14, 2025Audubon Christmas Bird Count
Aug 11, 2019Storm rolls over the grasslands
Jun 6, 2025Arromanches-les-Bains for the 81st anniversary of D-Day