The last time tens of thousands of people packed into St. Peter’s Square in Rome, it was to see the white smoke announcing the election of a new Pope, Leo XIV. And on Saturday evening, the crowds reappeared to witness something quite spectacular in honor of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year: the biggest drone show in Europe inspired by Michelangelo’s 16th-century “The Creation of Adam” on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. 

The Holy See broke with centuries of tradition to allow the light display to accompany the first concert ever held in St. Peter’s Square, directed by American singer Pharrell Williams and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. 

National Geographic Explorer and photographer Davide Monteleone and his team were on the scene for this historic event, capturing unforgettable shots of drones reproducing the famous finger-touch of God creating Adam, along with a drone version of the Pieta and a portrait of the late Pope Francis. 

Scores of intrepid climbers and expedition groups have set out to meet their fate on Mount Everest. Some reached the summit. Others created new paths to the top. Too many took their last breaths. Yet, the allure of climbing the world’s highest peak remains. To commemorate these adventures, we've gathered historic photographs from our archives of the mountain and its climbers.

Thanks for reading today’s newsletter, which was edited and curated by William O'Connor with the help of National Geographic’s photo team. It was produced by Rita Spinks. Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here to catch next week’s Photo of the Week newsletter.