We all love getting nostalgic and reliving history and there is no better way to do that than by looking at photographs. Pictures are great vessels that capture moments in history that we want to remember forever, but not all of these historical moments became as famous as they should have.
Job Hunter in the 1930s
The internet did not exist during the Great Depression, so looking for jobs was pretty difficult. Some men would wear signs like this and walk around the city hoping a business or company would hire them. Sometimes they would have to travel from far away to the closest city and stay in public shelters only to wake up and walk around wearing that sign again until they found something.
Racer Organizers Attempt to Stop Kathrine Switzer From Competing in the Boston Marathon
In 1967, Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to run as a competitor in the Boston Marathon when she was only 20 years old. Throughout her run racer organizers and other people, including race organizer Jock Semple, repeatedly assaulted her and knocked down her coach when he tried to protect her. Switzer's boyfriend ended up pushing Semple to the ground and both of them finished the race.
People Weren't Just Sad About General Patton's Death
General Patton died on December 21, 1945, 12 days after breaking his neck in a car accident near Mannheim, Germany. Many people were heartbroken, but it seems not just humans suffered from the loss. Patton's dog Willie would follow him where ever he went and days after he passed Willie was snapped here mourning by his belongings. Willie was later sent to live with Patton's wife and kids.
The Morning After Sweden Changed Driving Lanes
On September 3, 1967, Sweden switched from driving on the left side of the road to the right, and this day in history is now called Högertrafikomläggningen or Dagen H (H Day) which means "The right-hand traffic diversion." People were still confused and had to take some time to acclimate to the switch as you can tell from the photo. It was the largest logistical event in Sweden's history.
A Woman Arrested For Wearing a One-Piece Bathing Suit
In the 1920s, fashion for women was much more modest than it is today, and there were laws enforced that kept it that way. This photo, taken in 1922, is not the only one of its kind. Even men were escorted away from public beaches for not wearing shirts, because it was thought to be indecent.
German Soldiers' Reaction to Concentration Camps
In the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC this photo is on display. It shows the Nazi soldiers' reactions to footage that was taken at concentration camps. In the particular video they're watching, townspeople dug graves for the bodies of concentration camp internees who were killed as the Allies approached. It looks like they weren't very comfortable watching it.
Berlin Families Separated by the Wall
The Berlin wall was built in August 1961 and separated tons of friends and, more importantly, families. Here are residents of West Berlin showing their children to their grandparents who now resided on the opposite side, on May 9, 1961. The wall was eventually demolished in 1989.
Filming MGM's Credits
Everyone knows the iconic MGM movie intro showing a lion roaring, it is iconic and legendary. Here is a snapshot of the filming of the scene and how relatively simple it was. Though their mascot is referred to as "Leo the Lion," the lion's name was Jackie and was a very good boy during filming in 1928.
First White American Woman with a Tattoo
Olive Oatman and her family were attacked while traveling from Illinois to California. Many of her family members died during the attack, but she and her youngest sister were captured, enslaved and then traded to the Mohave people. Her youngest sister died but five years after the massacre Olive escaped and returned to white society wearing a blue tattoo on her chin given to her by the Mohaves.
Computers in the 1980s
It's crazy to realize how big computers first were when they were created. Pictured here is a Space Invaders competition in the 1980s. It was the earliest large scale video game competition attracting more than 10,000 competitors and really established esports as we know it today.
The Only Female to Strike Out Babe Ruth
Seventeen year old Jackie Mitchell, a southpaw who pitched against the New York Yankees on April 2, 1931 striked out not only Babe Ruth but Lou Gehrig, too. There are still rumors today saying that it was done for promotional purposes and wasn't genuine but hey, staged or not, it is still a pretty big credit to strike out the Great Bambino.
American Soldiers Return Home After World War II
World War II was one of the largest wars of all time but you really don't realize how many people fought in the war until you see it photo form. The United States alone had more than 12 million men and women in the armed forces at the end of World War II of whom 7.6 million were stationed abroad. Here is a photo of some of the soldiers returning home from war.
The Night Prohibition Ended
The 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which was passed in 1919, prohibited the sale of alcohol within the United States. On December 5th, 1933, the Amendment was repealed, leading to many celebrations (with plenty of drinks) across the country.
First Black Person to Attend an All-White School in North Carolina
In 1957, fifteen year old Dorothy Counts was the first black person to attend Harding High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. Pictured here you can see it wasn't very easy for her as white boys bullied her as she walked into the school. But her role in desegregation and this photo of her ignoring them really paved the way for the future.
Muhammad Ali Underwater
In September 8, 1961 a series of photos was published of Muhammad Ali training underwater and Ali explaining his underwater training process. It turns out that the training was a complete hoax and Ali actually didn't even know how to swim let alone train underwater. Even though it's based off of a lie, the photo is still pretty cool.
Circumcision Used to Identify People
In 1971 during Bangladesh's War of Independence, soldiers used circumcision to identify whether or not men were Hindus. Men were often made to undress to prove that they had been circumcised and hence were Muslim. Many Hindu male and women were either killed or raped during this war.
Prisoners Used as Test Subjects
While this looks like a fun sport of some sort it is actually a prisoner testing safety nets in 1958. Back in the '50s, capital punishment was utilized everywhere in America and prisons used their captives as test subjects while they were awaiting the death penalty or some other fatal ending in prison.
Bison Skull Mountain
This mini-mountain made of bison skulls actually isn't a creepy art installation. Originally, bison were hunted for their skins in the 1800's but the left over bones weren't used by hunters so, instead of just tossing them, they used the bones in refining sugar, making fertilizer and fine bone china. Pictured here are a few hundred skulls in 1870 before being used.
A Woman Gets a Ticket For Wearing a Bikini
The bikini was designed in 1946 by a French engineer named Louis Réard. The one-piece bathing suit remained the more popular choice for many years though, and beaches in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Australia prohibited or discouraged the wearing of two-piece bathing suits. This image, taken in Italy, shows that these rules were enforced at the time.
Water-Surfing Elephant
Owners of a Florida tourist attraction called De Leon Springs introduced Queenie to water-skiing in the 1950s and she actually didn't mind it! She would put her trunk in the water and get a big scoop of water and spray it all over the place. Queenie was billed as "The World's Only Water Skiing Elephant" after she replaced the world's first water skiing elephant, Sunshine Sally.
Gravity-Free Feline
Before we could take people into space, humans had to test out weightlessness. They would use cats to see how they reacted without gravity and the medical after effects of the experience. Pictured here is a pilot who took a cat up 25,000 feet in the air in the 1960s.
Original Mount Rushmore
Gutzon Borglum sculpted the design of Mount Rushmore from 1927 to 1941. The original design of the gigantic landmark shows more than just four heads of the United States' founding fathers but also the top portions of the bodies and even Lincoln fixing his tie with his hands. This plan was made before funding ran out.
Children for Sale
This photo, which was taken in Indiana in 1948, was claimed to be staged at the time, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Within two years of the photo being taken, all four of the children in the picture, and another child who hadn’t yet been born, were sold to different families. Lucille Chalifoux, the children’s mother, considered this option only because her situation was so dire that she had no way to provide for the children.
Bill Gates and a Data Tower
Creator of Microsoft and billionaire, Bill Gates wanted to show how much storage a CD-Rom could hold so he did so in this photo. In 1994 he crafted a "data tower" with paper pages to show how much information it could hold. This was quite a lot of data and pretty groundbreaking for the time.
The Headquarters of Mussolini
We all know that Mussolini was the Italian dictator who created the fascist party and was an all-around not good person, but you won't really realize how creepy he was until you see his headquarters during election season. The Palazzo Braschi in Rome, the headquarters of the Fascist Party Federation is decorated here during the 1934 elections with his creepy face and "Si, Si, Si" (meaning "yes") written over and over behind it.
The Beatles Play "Ed Sullivan"
Beatlemania ruled throughout the 1960s, kicked off in large part thanks to their performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on February 9, 1964. Having already conquered their home country, the band now spearheaded The British Invasion, a cultural movement that saw a renewed worldwide interest in UK fashion and music.
NASA Computer Engineer in 1955
Anne Easley was a computer engineer and mathematician at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which is now known as NASA. Her life story is one of great inspiration, as she was one of only four African American employees at NASA at the time and she managed to lead the institution into the future despite the drawbacks of racial segregation.
The First Boeing 747 Was Built
The Boeing 747 ushered in a new era of international travel, making trips across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans far more convenient. The plane was first shown off in a special press event on September 30 1968, at which time this photo was taken.
Hugo Gernsback Wears Television Glasses
Hugo Gernsback was a pioneer in the genre of science-fiction, and he even named the genre himself. The invention that he is seen wearing is called “teleyeglasses.” They included a tiny screen for each eye that displayed 3D images. The invention was made in 1963, and Gernsback also invented items like battery-powered portable mirrors and hair removal devices.
Yuri Gagarin Was the First Man in Space
Yuri Gagarin had the honor of being the first human to risk their life going into space. The trip was a success; he orbited the Earth once and was back on terra firma in under two hours. He then became an international celebrity, as seen here waving during a parade.
Jimi Hendrix Enlists in the Military
This young recruit is none other than a nineteen-year-old Jimi Hendrix. The famous musician enlisted in the military to avoid jail time after he was twice caught riding in stolen cars. Hendrix didn't exactly take to the army, and won an honorable discharge just a year later, freeing him up to become a rock and roll sensation.
A Cured Narcotics Addict Testifies in Court
This chilling image from 1952 shows an anonymous figure in court giving a testimony on narcotics trafficking to the Washington State crime investigation committee. The witness was allowed to wear the sheet to conceal their identity, as at the time they were no longer involved in narcotics.
Kennedy vs Nixon Debate Was Televised
John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon engaged in a series of presidential debates during 1960. This is remembered as the first time that television had a major impact on an election— those who listened to these debates on the radio believed that Nixon had done a better job in the debate, while those who watched the TV-pretty Kennedy believed that he had won.
Elvis Presley Served in the Military
Elvis Presley served in the United States military from 1958 to 1960, and at the time he was one of the most popular faces in entertainment. Presley himself decided to serve as a regular soldier instead of taking an offer to enlist in the Special Services, the entertainment branch of the military, where he would have been able to entertain troops and live in private housing.
The March on Washington
The March on Washington in 1963 was attended by between 200,000 and 300,000 people. It's believed that 75-80% of attendees were African American, and there were a few famous famous in the crowd, too...
Bob Dylan Sings at Protests
Many famous faces got involved with the March on Washington. Bob Dylan achieved fame for his earnest protest songs. Music and politics were inextricably linked during this period of history.
Woodstock Was a Cultural Reset
The ultimate cultural event of the decade, the Woodstock music festival ran over three days in August 1969. Over 400,000 people attended, and it rained on and off the entire time, but it is remembered as perhaps the best party the United States has ever seen.
Ham the Chimpanzee Was Launched into Space
During the Space Race of the 50s and 60s, the United States and the Soviet Union were eager to be the first to take flight into the great unknown of outer space. To do this, both countries used monkeys for experimental procedures to test rockets, parachutes and low-gravity vehicles. This space chimp, named Ham, took a 16-minute suborbital flight in 1961 during which his vitals were monitored by computers on Earth.
Women's Liberation March
The 60s and 70s saw many oppressed groups speaking out and demanding greater freedom. Women's liberation marches were common during this time— this photo, from 26 August 1970, shows women taking to the streets demanding better treatment.
Nixon Tours China
In 1972, Richard Nixon toured the People's Republic of China. The official visit was a monumental step in relations between the PRC and the U.S., and paved the way for China to connect more widely with the rest of the world.
The Stonewall Inn Riots Began the Gay Rights Movement
On June 28 1969, police conducted a raid of the Stonewall Inn in New York City. Violence broke out, leading to the Stonewall Riots and the explosive birth of the Gay Pride movement.
Martin Luther King Jr. Has a Dream
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place on August 28, 1963, and was one of the most influential peaceful protests in history. At its culmination, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
The Vietnam War Was Photographed
The Vietnam War (known as the American War in Vietnam) saw thousands of U.S. troops invade the region over a period of two decades. Much of the political debates throughout the 60s and 70s focused on the war, as initial U.S. enthusiasm gave way to apathy for the citizens of Vietnam and cynicism towards the U.S. government.
Anti-War Protests Were the Norm
The Flower Power generation of Hippies opposed the Vietnam War throughout the 60s and 70s. Images of protestors holding up flowers to soldiers became some of the most enduring images of this time.
JFK Heads to the Moon
On May 25 1961, John F. Kennedy delivered the speech that kicked off the Space Race. It was in this speech that Kennedy announced the United States' plans to expand their space exploration program and go to the moon. According to Kennedy, these things would be done "not because they are easy, but because they are hard."
Men Land on the Moon in 1969
Nearly a decade later, in July 1969, Apollo 11's lunar module touched down on the the surface of the moon. This iconic photo, taken by Neil Armstrong, shows Buzz Aldrin in his spacesuit.
The 1964 New York World's Fair
The New York World's Fair, which took place in 1964, is remembered by many who attended as children as a moment of optimism and excitement. The Space Race was in full swing and the fair's exhibits promised a bright future that never quite materialized for many.
The Berlin Wall Was Constructed
Construction of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961 as a way to keep the capitalist West Germany and communist East Germany separate. This photo, from June 26, 1963, shows John F Kennedy observing the infamous wall. It was on this day that he gave his famous "Ich Bin Ein Berliner" speech.
The Cuban Missile Crisis Came to a Head
It's hard to believe just how close to nuclear apocalypse planet Earth came in the 60s. On October 28 and 29, 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis came to a head when one Russian sub captain was persuaded not to launch a nuclear weapon at the last second by a single officer.
Kennedy's Assassination
One of the most iconic murders of the decade, John F. Kennedy's assassination on November 22 1963 had a dramatic impact on the American psyche. The public death of the nation's leader dramatically ultimately cemented Kennedy's legacy.
Apollo 13 Launches
Apollo 13 launched from Cape Kennedy Space Center on April 11,1970, bound for the lunar surface. After a rupture in the spaceship's oxygen tanks, touching down on the moon became impossible, and instead, NASA embarked on a desperate mission to save the astronauts aboard. The whole world watched and waited to see whether the crew could be brought home safely.
Nixon Departs the White House
Following the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon resigned as president in August of 1974. In spite of this humiliation, Nixon did his best to spin his his presidency as a triumph, finally leaving the White House with a large smile on his face and victorious hand gestures.
The Iranian Revolution
The 1979 Iranian Revolution permanently changed the politics of the Middle East and Muslim countries around the world, including their relations with their international neighbors. The Pahlavi dynasty, which had been supported by the U.S., was overthrown and replaced by the Islamic Republic of Iran.