Before cameras, history was told through words, paintings, and fading memories. But with their invention, we gained something remarkable—the ability to capture moments exactly as they were. Now, we can look back and see life in stunning detail, from everyday moments to world-defining events.
One of the best places to find rare and fascinating images from the past is the subreddit r/Historycord, home to the largest partnered history server on Discord. We’ve gathered some of their most intriguing posts below—explore them, upvote your favorites, and if you’re curious to learn more about the group, don’t miss our conversation with its head admin. Enjoy!
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A Police Officer Playing Duck Duck Goose With Children In New York, 1970
Firefighters Protecting The General Sherman, The Largest Tree In The World, From A Wildfire
Harlem Grocer Standing In Front Of His Store, 1937
With 76,000 members on Reddit and nearly 20,000 on Discord, Historycord describes itself as a community for “people who live and breathe history.” What sets the group apart is its dedication to accuracy—it doesn’t just encourage members to share interesting historical photos and videos but also to analyze, critique, and improve their knowledge.
Cheyenne Dog Soldier Black Wolf, 1921
Jesse Owens, An American Athlete, In London Following His Four Gold Medals At The 1936 Berlin Olympics
The USA treated him worse than Nazi Germany did when he won those medals.
German Soldiers React To Footage Of Concentration Camps, 1945
Bored Panda reached out to the team behind Historycord and spoke with Pablo, the senior administrator and de facto head of the subreddit.
He explained that the group first began as a Discord server—now the largest history-focused server on the platform—before expanding to Reddit.
“We created this subreddit to grow that community at first, but now it has blossomed into something much larger than we had ever imagined,” he told us.
A Woman In The 1950’s Standing Next To A Redwood Tree
Hmm, that could just be a very short woman. We need a banana for scale.
My Great Grandfather Wrote This Letter To My Grandfather. He Was K**led 8 Days Later
Satchel Paige At His Final Pro Baseball Game In Which He Pitched 3 Scoreless Innings For The Kansas City A’s In 1965 At The Age Of 59. An Easy Chair And A Nurse Were Provided In The Bullpen
Pablo may be one of the most qualified history subreddit admins out there. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history and is currently pursuing a master’s in education.
“I have found this subreddit to be surprisingly helpful in structuring my future career, and I am now particularly fascinated in archivism and the National Archives and Records Administration,” he shared. “I like the mesh of edutainment that this server provides, which I believe blends both aspects into a unique and lax environment.”
B-17 Ball Turret Gunner Alan Magee, Who Fell 22,000 Feet Without A Parachute, Landing On The Glass Roof Of St. Nazaire Train Station, Breaking It Through. He Suffered Multiple Injuries, Including A Broken Leg And A Badly Cut Arm, But He Lived. January 3, 1943
There is another story where the tail gunner jumped without a chute because the plane was on fire and the tail position was too tight for a chute and his chute was already on fire where he kept it. He lived.
Last Surviving Wooden Door From The Gas Chambers At Auschwitz. For Millions Of Jews, It Was The Last Door They Ever Saw
Burbank High School Parking Lot In Burbank, California 1966
Ensuring historical accuracy on social media is no easy task, but it’s more important than ever.
According to the American Historical Association, 26% of people use social media to learn about the past, with that number rising to 35% among those aged 18-29. Meanwhile, TikTok videos labeled #history have collected over 135 billion views.
Given these numbers, it’s refreshing to see a community like Historycord take its role seriously and promote critical thinking.
American Activist Rachel Corrie, 23, Stands Between An Israeli Bulldozer And A Palestinian House On March 16, 2003, In Rafah In The Gaza Strip. Corrie Was Run Over And Killed By An Israeli Bulldozer As She Protested The Demolition Of Palestinian Houses. (2003)
Sharon Tate Photographed By Jack Garofalo In Cannes, 1968
Poor girl could never have imagined the evil. mindless horror that would snuff out not only her life but the life of her unborn child only a year after this photo was taken. It's a crime that haunts people even today.
Lumberjacks, Ca 1900
"I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK I sleep all night, I work all day."
“Social media is quite good for self-education,” Pablo said. “And I believe the main reason for this is due to the social networking that it promotes. Unlike a website or news board, forums, discussion boards, and social media sites like Reddit and Discord will usually have near-instantaneous critical analysis on any number of claims made by a user.”
“This allows for quick responses in an environment that promotes rapid intellectual equity and personal growth, which I have found extremely useful throughout my experience.”
Department Store Workers On Their Lunch Break, Chattanooga, Tn, 1905
A Woman Sitting In The Ruins Of Cologne, Germany, 1945
My Dad On Shore Leave - Malaysia In 1940 At 17 Years Old
The AJS motorcycle (seen here) is a British firm. "AJS" stands for A. J. Stevens & Co. Ltd. The company was founded by Joe Stevens in Wolverhampton, England. AJS also made cars and radios. The name continued to be used by Matchless, Associated Motorcycles and Norton-Villiers on four-stroke motorcycles until 1969, and since the name's resale in 1974, on lightweight, two-stroke scramblers and today on small-capacity roadsters and cruisers. The company held 117 motorcycle world records.
If r/Historycord has piqued your interest, Pablo highly recommends checking out the community’s Discord server.
“I would invite you to explore our Discord server to learn more about how our subreddit’s social attitudes were formed, leading to this unique culture on a website such as Reddit,” he said.
When She Was 23, Rosemary Kennedy, The Sister Of Jfk And Rfk, Had A Forced Lobotomy Arranged By Her Father. The Surgery Left Her Incapacitated For The Rest Of Her Life
A Tourist And His Car At The Edge Of The Grand Canyon. Arizona, USA. 1914
Anne Frank's Father, Otto Frank, With Other Soldiers In 1915
He fought for the Country, risked his life for the Country, that later killed his whole family...
New Year's Eve Party, 1930s
Joe Dimaggio, Age 20, Enjoying Some Of His Mother Rosalie's 1936 Spaghetti
A Girl Posing On A Car, Ca 1920
High School Auto Shop Class In The 1950s
Two Kids Discovered A 1974 Ferrari Dino Buried In Their Backyard While Playing In 1978
Time Square In 1978
A Burger King Located In Manhattan, New York, Offered Free Internet Access To Customers In 1998
Imagine how nasty those keys would get from typing while you're eating.
A Business Excursion Riding Through Death Valley In Search Of The Mineral Borax, Sometime In The 1890's
Manhattan Juxtaposed Before The Arrival Of Settlers And How It Looks Today
Coffee Shop, Baltimore, Maryland, 1930
Lunch Menu From R.h. Macy & Co, New York, 1917. All Prices Are In Cents
"Meatless menu"? Really? I'll have the hot roast turkey seeing as though I am vegetarian...
In August 2017, An Unexploded American 1,000 Pound B**b (450 Kg) Was Discovered At The Site Of The Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant
Oh, we find a lot of those around here in Germany too from time to time
Edmund Kemper, A Serial [Criminal], In California Medical Center In The Early 2000s With Two Prison Guards
Dicky Chappelle Was A War Correspondent And Combat Photographer Covering Iwo Jima, Okinawa, And The Hungarian Uprising Of 1954. She Was Kia While Patrolling With The Marines On 4 Nov 1965. Dicky Was Only 47 At Time Of Her Death
Pleeease email them at their contact email address so they’ll KNOW. (Still, they’re gonna post stuff that gets the most engagement, but nevertheless, hearing from actual customers is always good, and if lotsa people say the same thing they’ll take it into consideration!)
Load More Replies...Pleeease email them at their contact email address so they’ll KNOW. (Still, they’re gonna post stuff that gets the most engagement, but nevertheless, hearing from actual customers is always good, and if lotsa people say the same thing they’ll take it into consideration!)
Load More Replies...