In 1964 primatologist & National Geographic grantee Jane Goodall had a touching moment with young chimpanzee Flint at Tanzania's Gombe Stream Reserve (© Hugo van Lawick/The National Geographic Society)

Jane Goodall in 1964 at the Gombe Stream Reserve in Tanzania.

Starting in 1938, Matthew Stirling, chief of the Smithsonian Bureau of American Ethnology, uncovered 11 colossal stone heads, evidence of the ancient Olmec civilization that had lain buried for 15 centuries (© Richard Hewitt Stewart/The National Geographic Society)

One of 11 ancient Olmec colossal heads discovered in after being buried for 15 centuries by Matthew Stirling, beginning in 1938.

In a moss-draped rain forest in British Colombia, a white-furred brown bear eats among thousand-year-old red cedars; locals call these animals 'spirit bears' (© Paul Nicklen/The National Geographic Society)

A "spirit bear" at home among the 1,000 year old cedars of British Columbia.

Washing his films in iceberg-choked seawater was an everyday chore for photographer Oscar D. Von Engeln during the summer months he spent on a National Geographic-sponsored expedition in Alaska, 1909 (© Oscar D. Von Engeln/The National Geographic Society)

Photographer Oscar D. Von Engeln washes film in ice water in Alaska, 1909.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin walks on the Moon’s Sea of Tranquility, his visor reflecting Neil Armstrong & the lunar module Eagle in 1969 (© NASA/The National Geographic Society)

1969, National Lunar-graphic: Neil Armstrong reflected in Buzz Aldrin's visor.

In 1991 the magazine showed the rusted prow of the R.M.S. Titanic, which sank in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg in April 1912 (© Emory Kristof/The National Geographic Society)

1991, the rusted prow of the Titanic cuts through the ocean.

The M.S. Silverash carried the Society-supported Mann Expedition to the East Indies to collect exotic animals for the National Zoo from Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1937 (© J. Baylor Roberts/The National Geographic Society)

The National Geographic's 1937 Mann Expedition was charged with retrieving exotic animals from the East Indies.

The gold mask of King Tutankhamun at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (© Kenneth Garrett/The National Geographic Society)

King Tutankhamun's gold death mask on display in Cairo.

The 'Ice Maiden,' the 500-year-old mummy of a young Inca girl found on a Peruvian mountaintop by archaeologist & National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Johan Reinhard (© Stephen Alvarez/The National Geographic Society)

Johan Reinhard, a NE explorer-in-residence, discovered a 500-year-old mummy known as the "Ice Maiden."

Steve McCurry's iconic photograph of a young Afghan girl in a Pakistan refugee camp appeared on the cover of National Geographic magazine's June 1985 issue & became the most famous cover image in the magazine's history (© Steve McCurry/The National Geographic Society)

1985, Steve McCurry caught the gaze of a young Afghan refugee in Pakistan.

Here are 10 stunning images to wish Nat Geo happy 125th birthday

1/12/2013

"National Geographic" has been a vivid testimony of the world beyond our horizons for schools, armchair explorers and fanciers of the exposed female torso for 125 years — yes, this Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013 marks the society's 125th anniversary! National Geographic has updated from the yellow-bordered magazine in which you beheld your first glimpse of Bali (or bra-free ta-tas) and is even hosting a star-studded Google+ hangout in honor of the big anniversary with celebrities like Jane Goodall, James Cameron and Bob Ballard helping honor the magazine responsible for some of the world’s most unforgettable images. We’re kicking off the celebration right now with a showcase of National Geographic’s 10 most iconic images. [National Geographic 125]

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Solar system photos from NASA. 2012's funniest photobombs.