Born on August 19
World Photography Day
Every picture tells a story.
Next: August 19, 2027
Where it comes from
World Photography Day marks 19 August 1839, when the secrets of the daguerreotype, the first practical photographic process, were explained step by step at a joint meeting of the French Academies of Sciences and Fine Arts in Paris, with a crowd spilling into the courtyard outside.
How it's celebrated
Photographers and camera clubs hold exhibitions, workshops and photo walks, and people everywhere share their pictures online and what photography means to them.
Did you know
When the doors finally opened, an eyewitness reported, people rushed out shouting the names of the secret chemicals: 'Silver iodide' cried one, 'Quicksilver' another.
Read the full story of World Photography Day
Star sign
Leo · July 23 – August 22 · Fire sign
Warm, generous and made for the spotlight.