History – never more awesome and fascinating than in photo form. Here are 31 incredible photos of historic moments:
1) JFK meets a young Bill Clinton
If JFK had known what Clinton was going to get up to I expect he would have slapped him silly… either that or given him a high-five?
2) Flow over Niagra Falls stopped for maintenance in 1969
Well, that can’t have been easy can it?
3) Beatles prepare to cross Abbey Road
The build up to one of the most iconic photos of all time, quite possibly.
4) Steve McQueen and James Coburn as pallbearers at Bruce Lee’s funeral – 1973
5) Einstein chilling in 1932
There is nothing I don’t like about this dude. Here’s a quick quote while we’re at it: “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits”.
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6) Only known photo of Einstein lecturing with E=MC2 written on the board
Another Einstein quote? OK: “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new”.
7) Coloured German soldiers 1932
8) Search lights on Gibraltar
This was taken during an air-raid practice on Gibraltar, 20 November 1942.
9) Hitler feeding deer
This photo was supposed to be one of the very few times Hitler was filmed without his prior knowledge. The softer side of a genocidal maniac.
10) Houdini exposing the fakery behind spirit trickery
Houdini doing what would now be described as a “Derren Brown”.
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11) Dinosaurs on the Hudson River going to the World Fair 1964
The Sinclair Oil Corporation sponsored “Dinoland” at the World Fair which featured life-size replicas of nine different dinosaurs, including the corporation’s signature Brontosaurus.
12) JFK’s family leave his funeral
13) Lion in the sidecar of a wall of death Massachusetts – 1929
Yup, a lion in the sidecar. He looks completely unphased by it all.
14) Mark Twain 1883
Author of Huckleberry Finn looking a little racey. Here’s a quote from the good man: “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt”.
15) Vladimir Putin and friends 1969
He hasn’t aged a bit. Apparently none of them have been seen since this was taken but I don’t believe that.
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16) Stephen Hawking marries Jane Wilde – 1965
Hawking quote: “Women. They are a complete mystery”.
17) Kids mob sweet store after rationing ends 1953
Well you would wouldn’t you?
18) Only known photo of an African-American Union Soldier with his family – 1860’s
19) Whitehouse – 1865
20) Only known photo of Chopin – 1849
Poland’s greatest composer, wrote his first piece of music at the delicate age of 7, performed his first concert at 8 and died aged 39 of TB.
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21) Execution by cannon – Iran
Yes, this really happened. Here’s a description written by someone who has witnessed it in action: “The prisoner is generally tied to a gun with the upper part of the small of his back resting against the muzzle. When the gun is fired, his head is seen to go straight up into the air some 40 or fifty feet; the arms fly off right and left, high up in the air, and fall at, perhaps, a hundred yards distance; the legs drop to the ground beneath the muzzle of the gun; and the body is literally blown away altogether, not a vestige being seen…”
22) Turkish sniper in camouflage captured by two Anzacs, Gallipoli – 1915
Wow, that is a thorough outfit.
23) Harry Houdini -1912 in chains, about to be lowered into the East River
24) Ida Fuller of Vermont receiving the first ever US Social Security cheque
This cheque was the first ever of its kind. The payment amounted to $22.54 and was the first step away from poverty for the old folks of America. Before 1940 they had basically lived in squalor.
25) Last known photo of Lenin – 1923
He looks fairly unstable doesn’t he? He’d had a number of strokes by this point so we won’t hold it against him.
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26) Marilyn Monroe meets Queen Elizabeth – 1956
The chap in the centre is doing a wonderful job of keeping his gaze at eye level.
27) Miss New Zealand faints during the 1957 Miss Universe Pageant
The competition was held in California, I guess she wasn’t used to the heat.
28) Russian peasants get electricity for the first time 1920
29) Teddy Roosevelt riding a moose – 1920
Unfortunately this has recently turned out to be a fake, but I thought I’d put it in so that if someone else shows it you, you can say they are an idiot for being taken in by it. The photo was created by the photography firm Underwood and Underwood and used in a collage titled ‘The Race for the White House’ in a newspaper covering the election race.
30) Last view inside before closing the gangplank on the Titanic – 1912
31) Experimental camouflage USS Nebraska – 1918
Apparently it was called Dazzle Camouflage…
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