The city of Meroë laid undiscovered for two millennia before British archaeologist John Garstang excavated it in the early 20th century. Garstang took the radical decision to document his discoveries with photography – and immortalised an ancient world. “Meroë: Africa’s Forgotten Empire” is being shown until 14 September at Garstang Museum of Archaeology, Liverpool. Here: A group visiting the excavations at Meroë, including (from left) Midwinter Bey, director of Sudan Railways; Lord Kitchener; General Sir Francis Reginald Wingate, Sirdar of the Egyptian Army; Professor Archibald Sayce; John Garstang; and Lady Catherine Wingate, 1911. (Photo by Garstang Museum of Archaeology)

The Butchart Gardens is a group of floral display gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada, located near Victoria on Vancouver Island. The gardens receive close to a million visitors each year. The gardens have been designated a National Historic Site of Canada due to their international renown.

The Census of Marine Life was a global network of researchers in more than 80 nations engaged in a 10-year scientific initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the oceans. The world's first comprehensive Census of Marine Life — past, present, and future — was released in 2010 in London.

“Romain Laurent is 29 years old, originally from the french Alps, living and working in Paris. Romain Laurent studied design for 3 years at ENSAAMA Olivier de Serres (National school of applied arts) in Paris and then switched to Photography at Gobelins, l’ecole de l’image, also in Paris. Working as a professional photographer since 2006”.

Duncan Fenton from the Society of William Wallace stands next to a 700-year-old letter believed to have been in the possession of William Wallace, which has returned to National Records of Scotland on January 12, 2012 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

A member of the musuem team attends to a Aston Martin DB5 used in the James Bond film Goldfinger and being displayed at the Bond In Motion exhibition at National Motor Museum on January 17, 2012 in Beaulieu, England. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

“Ой, да не вечер” – the Russian national song. It is also known under the name “Stepan Razin's Dream”. It is sung on behalf of Cossack Stepan Razin ((1630–1671) was a Cossack leader who led a major uprising against the nobility and Tsar's bureaucracy in South Russia) who tells the bad dream foretelling trouble. Sings: Pelagea Sergeevna Efimova (born 14.06.1986 in Novosibirsk, Russia).

Members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment place American flags at the graves of U.S. soldiers buried at Arlington National Cemetery in preparation for Memorial Day May 26, 2011 in Arlington, Virginia. “Flags-In” has become an annual event since the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) was appointed an Army official ceremonial unit in 1948. Every available soldier in the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment participates in these annual ceremonies. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)