As people gather today to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, we look at images from that event in 1963 and from tumultuous times during the civil rights movement.  King's pivotal speech addressing racism in this country was a crucial event in the history of civil rights and one that will always be remembered, not just on this milestone anniversary. -Leanne Burden Seidel ( 20 photos total)

Horrific images were taken this week of an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria. Rows of bodies, including many children, fill rooms and streets in the eastern suburbs of Damascus, and Syrian activists are reporting hundreds of people killed. The Syrian government denies the use of chemical weapons, and an investigation continues. The civil war persists as forces continued fighting and droves fled the country. (WARNING: Images are graphic)( 25 photos total)

Here's a collection of recent photos of animals from around the world. With such diverse and fascinating subjects, photographers can't help but capture daily the creatures with which we share this earth. -Leanne Burden Seidel(40 photos total)

International attention has been focused on workers' safety in Bangladesh since the disaster at Rana Plaza, a garment factory complex which collapsed in April, killing 1,132 workers. As concern runs high about the safety of garment workers, Reuters photographer Andrew Biraj spent time photographing survivors of the Rana Plaza collapse and also documenting the lives of workers in other industries in Bangladesh, where conditions can be hazardous. -Reuters (21 photos total)

Hundreds were killed across Egypt today as security forces stormed the two protest camps in Cairo filled with supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi. Violence erupted in streets throughout the capital city and the country. A one month state of emergency across the country was declared and the interim vice president resigned. ( 27 photos total)

It is once again the season for carnival rides and livestock competitions at county and state fairs across the country. The first state fair was in Syracuse, N.Y., in 1841 to promote the agriculture industry. Since that time, fairs have evolved to include amusement rides and games, concerts, and demolition derbies. -- Lloyd Young EDITOR'S NOTE: The Big Picture will post again on Wednesday, August 14. ( 45 photos total)

You name it and there is probably a record for it ­– and, for many, the most coveted acknowledgment is to make it in the Guinness Book of World Records. In this post, the Big Picture looks at some record-setting attempts so far in 2013. -- Lloyd Young ( 25 photos total)

On May 10, 2013 The Big Picture featured some of the thousands of images that were entered in the 2013 National Geographic Traveler Magazine Photo Contest. The winners have been chosen. Their images follow. (The winners gallery is also available here as well as the complete contest and all its entrants here. You can see the editor's picks and can download wallpaper images for your desktop or your smartphone.) The winning images will appear in the Dec. 2013/Jan. 2014 issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine. (NOTE: The captions are written by the photographer.) --EDITOR'S NOTE: The Big Picture will post again on Wednesday, August 7. (11 photos total)