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87 Must-See Historic Moments In Photographs
The photograph precipitated a dramatic change in how we perceive history. Amazing old photos like these can make it seem like you were standing right there during that historical moment.
Books and paintings have documented historical events far further back, but there's nothing like a vintage photo to give you the sense that you're looking at something real. Even a famous photo from old times can still misdirect the viewer, but it's still more truthful than a painting or book.
If you know of any cool historical photos we've missed, please add them to this list and vote for your favorite interesting photos!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
A Lone Man Refusing To Do The Nazi Salute, 1936
RELATED:
#2
Nikola Tesla Sitting In His Laboratory With His "Magnifying Transmitter"
#3
The Graves Of A Catholic Woman And Her Protestant Husband, Holland, 1888
#4
Austrian Boy Receives New Shoes During WWII
#5
Race Organizers Attempt To Stop Kathrine Switzer From Competing In The Boston Marathon. She Became The First Woman To Finish The Race, 1967
#6
The Unbroken Seal On Tutankhamun’s Tomb, 1922 (3,245 Years Untouched)
#7
Painting The Eiffel Tower, 1932
#8
First Morning After Sweden Changed From Driving On The Left Side To Driving On The Right, 1967
#9
Unknown Soldier In Vietnam, 1965
#10
Animals Being Used As Part Of Medical Therapy, 1956
JillStanford 11 years ago
I haD polio in 1954 and they out an aquarium on the window sill for me to watch.
#11
The Kiss Of Life – A Utility Worker Giving Mouth-to-mouth To Co-worker After He Contacted A High Voltage Wire, 1967
#12
Annette Kellerman Promotes Women’s Right To Wear A Fitted One-piece Bathing Suit, 1907. She Was Arrested For Indecency
#13
106-year-old Armenian Woman Guards Home, 1990
#14
Albert Einstein, Summer 1939 Nassau Point, Long Island, Ny
#15
The Last Known Photo Of The Titanic Above Water, 1912
#16
Grotto In An Iceberg, Photographed During The British Antarctic Expedition, 5 Jan 1911.
#17
Painter Of The Brooklyn Bridge,1914
AlanWilliams 11 years ago
If the men on the wires arranged themselves correctly, they could spell out the first bar and a half of 'Star Spangled Banner'
#18
Disneyland Employee Cafeteria In 1961
#19
Massive Crowds Gather For The First Woodstock, 1969
hvandegrift 11 years ago
And there were no riots, nothing set on fire... back when people, even YOUNG people, weren't as completely narcissistic like they are now
#20
The Real Winnie The Pooh And Christopher Robin, 1927
#21
Women Delivering Ice, 1918
#22
Hannah Stilley, Born 1746, Photographed In 1840. Probably The Earliest Born Individual Captured On Film
#23
The Beatles Play For 18 People In The Aldershot Club, December 1961. They Were To Become Superstars In One And A Half Year.
#24
The First Ever Underground Train Journey, Edgware Road Station, London, 1862
#25
Woman With A Gas-resistant Pram, England, 1938
#26
Elvis In The Army, 1958
#27
Customers At A London Music Store, 1955
#28
Baby Cages Used To Ensure That Children Get Enough Sunlight And Fresh Air When Living In An Apartment Building, 1937
KarenRitchel 11 years ago
At least they got fresh air. Though not the safest contraption I've ever seen.
#29
Measuring Bathing Suits, If They Were Too Short, Women Would Be Fined, 1920’s
#30
Salvador Dali Kisses The Hand Of Raquel Welch After Finishing His Famous Portrait Of Her, 1965
#31
Little Girl With Her Doll Sitting In The Ruins Of Her Bombed Home, London, 1940
#32
Georges Blind, A Member Of The French Resistance, Smiling At A German Firing Squad, 1944
AnaRetoAlburqueque 11 years ago
All that hate is petty much wasted energy, it takes him only one smile to be "immortal".
#33
“wait For Me Daddy,” By Claude P. Dettloff In New Westminster, Canada, October 1, 1940
#34
Sailor Kissing Nurse, Times Square, August 14, 1945.
Final score:
66points
#35
Audrey Hepburn Shopping With Her Pet Deer “ip” In Beverly Hills, Ca, 1958
#36
African Americans Protest Against The War In Vietnam During The Harlem Peace March, 1967
#37
Three Men Run In The Marathon At The First Modern Olympic Games, 1896
#38
Harley Davidson’s First Factory, 1903
#39
The First 5 Mbyte Hard Disk Loaded To A Panam Plane, 1956
#40
View From The Top On The Opening Day Of The Empire State Building, 1931
#41
Charlie Chaplin At The Age Of 27, 1916
#43
Newspaper Boy Ned Parfett Sells Copies Of The Evening Paper Bearing News Of Titanic’s Sinking The Night Before, April 16, 1912
#44
Painting Wwii Propaganda Posters, Port Washington, New York, 8 July 1942
AbiezerCelzo224352 11 years ago
posters before worth millions today posters today worth the simple cannon printer
#46
Factory Workers Race On The Roof (test Track) Of The Fiat Factory In Turin, Italy, 1923
#47
Titanic Departure, Southampton, Uk, 1912
Final score:
48points
#48
Mother Hides Her Face In Shame After Putting Her Children Up For Sale, Chicago, 1948
#49
Lunch Atop A Skyscraper
Final score:
47points
#50
Bird’s Eye View Of Jfk’s Funeral In The Capitol Building, November, 1963
Ronald Thomas 7 months ago
He made the Soviets back down but he also botched the Bay Of Pigs and got us started in Vietnam. He served honorably in WWII but at heart was nothing but a Boston liberal.
#51
The Glasses John Lennon Wore When He Was Assassinated, 1980
#52
Times Square, 1947
#53
Dressing The Bride, 1890s
#54
Norway Receive Their First Ever Shipment Of Bananas,1905
#55
Early Morning Train, Japan, 1964
#56
Che Guevara And Fidel Castro Fishing, 1960
#57
East German Soldier Jumping Barbed-wire Fence 1961
Final score:
40points
#58
Street Life In London, 1876
DebbieBurton 11 years ago
By the looks of his shoes he would have been born with hip dysplasia. Glad they can do something about it these days.
#59
Broadway At The United States Hotel Saratoga Springs, N.y. Ca 1900-1915
CarrieConrad 11 years ago
I used to work as a bartender at the Old Bryan Inn, so this is especially poignant!
#60
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev As A Young Gentleman, 1986
#61
Arnold Schwarzenegger In New York For The First Time In 1968
#62
Women At Work During Ww2, 1942
#63
Interior Of A London Pub, 1898
#66
Children Exercising In A School-yard, 1900
#67
Bondi Bay, Australia, C. 1900
#68
A Flight Simulator In 1942
genewilson 11 years ago
And to think that was enough for someone to say "ok I'm ready. Let's go 1000 feet high and I'll bring it down safely"
#69
Elton John At The Piano Bar Aboard His Private Plane, 1976
Darla Williams 11 years ago
I had that photo in one of many of my Elton John commemorative books. He was an important part of my years growing up. My preteen/teen idol.
#70
Elijah Wood & Macaulay Culkin, 1993
#71
Barack Obama With His Junior Varsity Basketball Team,
#72
Cutting The Big Trees
Final score:
25points
#74
The Original Ronald Mcdonald, 1963
#75
The World's First Female Fighter Pilot
Final score:
21points
#76
An Injured Survivor Of The Hindenburg Smokes As He Is Carried To Safety, 6 May, 1937
#77
People Swimming Around The Kaaba, The Holy Place Of The Muslims, After A Heavy Rain.
Final score:
14points
#78
Fifth Solvay International Conference
Final score:
12points
JosephGarza 11 years ago
Auguste Piccard, Emile Henriot, Paul Ehrenfest, Edouard Herzen, Theophile de Donder, Erwin Schrodinger, Jules-Emile Verschaffelt
#79
Russian Occupation, August 21st 1968; Venceslas Square, Prague, Czech Republic
Final score:
12points
#80
Unknow Finnish Soldiers After Sauna, Continuation War
Final score:
8points
#81
First Ever Elephant In Bulgaria, Named Nal, Intended For The Sofia Zoo, Used As A Cattle Here.
Final score:
8points
#82
"the Most Beautiful Suicide". Evelyn Mchale Jumped From The Empire State Building, 1947
Final score:
8points
#83
Debbie Reynols Entertains Troops In Korea 1954
Final score:
7points
#84
Louis And Lola,only Children To Be Rescued From Titanic (real Names:michel And Edmond Navratil)
Final score:
4points
Angel Pecica 6 years ago
That's incorrect... Millvina Dean (2 February 1912 – 31 May 2009) was the last survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic on 15 April 1912. At two months old, she was also the youngest passenger aboard...
#85
First Picture Showing A Human Being. Paris, 1838
Final score:
2points
#86
Circus Hippo Pulling A Cart, 1924
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NancyBowles 11 years ago
These are really great photos. Amazing to me that the high workers; painters, iron workers, etc. didn't even tie off up there in the air.
NancyBowles 11 years ago
These are really great photos. Amazing to me that the high workers; painters, iron workers, etc. didn't even tie off up there in the air.
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