Tai Shan, whose name means Peaceful Mountain, was the first giant panda born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., to survive infancy. Now 15 years old, Tai Shan lives at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL NICHOLS, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION
In the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, President Lyndon B. Johnson delivers remarks at the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The VRA, which ensured protections for voters of all races, was gutted by a 2013 U.S.Supreme Court ruling that claimed a key section of the legislation was no longer relevant.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JOE SCHERSCHEL, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION
In this photo from the April 1947 issue, people in Hong Kong have become engrossed in stories they just borrowed from a sidewalk lending library. The original caption states that one could buy 13 stories for one cent.
PHOTOGRAPH BY THREE LIONS INC, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION
Spellbound students compound nitrobenzene at Kenya Science Teachers College in the 1960s. The school is now known as the Kenya Science Campus, as part of the University of Nairobi, and offers a bachelor's degree in science education.
PHOTOGRAPH BY BRUCE DALE, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION
Idling at a market, a Uygur motorcycle taxi driver waits for his next fare in Kashgar, Xinjiang Province, China. Job opportunities for the Muslim minority people group in western China are scarce.
PHOTOGRAPH BY CAROLYN DRAKE, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt leads a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Armistice Day in 1936. The tomb, located in Arlington National Cemetery, honors members of the military who have died but cannot be identified.
PHOTOGRAPH BY J. BAYLOR ROBERTS, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION
Travelers await trains at the Trans-Siberian Railroad Station in Novosibirsk, Russia. Novosibirsk is the third largest city in Russia, mainly because of its place on the Ob River and its role as a transportation and commerce hub.
PHOTOGRAPH BY DEAN CONGER, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION
Buddhist monks present alms bowls at Wat Benchamabophit, also known as the Marble Temple, in Bangkok, Thailand. The iconic temple is pictured on the back of the five-baht coin in Thai currency.
PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVEN RAYMER, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION
In this picture from the July 1994 issue, a family in San Diego poses outside their home with piles of trash (right) and recyclables (left) representing the average amount of each that an American family produces each year.
Prehistoric art adorns the walls of Lascaux Cave in southwest France. Discovered in 1940 when a boy's dog fell into a hole, the cave art dates back more than 17,000 years.
PHOTOGRAPH BY SISSE BRIMBERG, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION
The entire July 1989 issue was dedicated to France's bicentennial. Les Charmettes, pictured here, was a favorite retreat for philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Now, it's a historical landmark and museum.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMES STANFIELD, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION
An elephant orphan greets schoolchildren visiting Tsavo East National Park, Kenya. At the park, elephants orphaned by poachers will spend years recovering until they can safely reintegrate into the wild.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL NICHOLS, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION