United States Today's Bing Wallpaper

September 15, 2024

Casa del Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, California

Celebrating Hispanic heritage

From today, National Hispanic Heritage Month unfurls its vibrant celebrations of Hispanic Americans' contributions to US culture and society. The date coincides with the independence days of several Latin American nations, like Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Chile. Established as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968, it was expanded to a month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.

San Diego's Balboa Park was a scrub-filled mesa when civic leaders decided to set aside 1,400 acres to create a large urban park in 1868. As seen in today's image, the Casa del Prado is one of several reconstructed buildings in this part of the park, where local festivities spring to life during National Hispanic Heritage Month. Music, dance, parades, and storytelling celebrate America's approximately 65 million Hispanics, whose culture is deeply interwoven with American history.