People In This Online Community Share Historic Pics With A Story And Here Are 51 Of Them (New Pics)
Photography could be one of the greatest human inventions. Since the 19th century, it has allowed us to capture specific moments and have them last for generations to come.
And when we look back on these snapshots, we’re immediately reminded of a much simpler time. It’s a palpable feeling of nostalgia that wraps around you, regardless of whether you’ve lived through said bygone era.
Here are some examples from the History Cord subreddit, an online community with no shortage of archive photos of people and events that shaped humanity as we know it. If you consider yourself a history buff, this list might make your week.
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The Most Decorated Unit Of World War II
The 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Made up of japanese americans Fought in the Naples-Foggia Campaign, Rome-Arno Campaign, Rhineland - 21 Medals of Honor - 52 Distinguished Service Cross - 560 Silver Stars - Over 4000 Bronze Stars - Over 4000 Purple Hearts.
West German Chancellor Willy Brandt At The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Memorial In Poland, Showing Remorse For German Atrocities Against Jews During The Uprising And War, 1970
Vietnam War Pow Doug Hegdahl Pretended To Be Illiterate To Fool His Captors, Who Believed Him To Be So Stupid That They Gave Him Almost Free Rein Of The Camp
He secretly memorized the details of about 256 POWs that he passed on after his release.
Many of the photos on this list are related to the military and World War II. And as momentous as this historic event was, there are many myths about it that many people are likely unaware of.
Dr. Rob Citino, a senior historian at the National World War II Museum, debunked these myths in an interview with Time Magazine.
In 1962, The U.S. Aircraft Carrier Uss Independence Encountered Italy's Amerigo Vespucci In The Mediterranean And Asked For Identification, After Receiving A Reply, The Americans Responded: "You Are The Most Beautiful Ship In The World"
The Amerigo Vespucci was launched in 1931 and was built to resemble a 19th Century 74 gun warship. The photo was taken July 12th 1962 in the Mediterranean Sea. The Amerigo Vespucci is still in service in the Italian Navy. The aircraft carrier was decommissioned in 1988 after 40 years of service in the US navy.
Just Picked Up 200 Stereoscopic Slides And Half Are WWI
I am a history hunter who visits estate/tag/garage sales on the weekend looking for lost and forgotten images and mementos of generations past. I use much of these discoveries in public presentations about preservation.
WWII or WWI?? 🤔 Edit: just wanted to clarify, yes I knew this was WWI
Ho Chi Minh, Then Known As Nguyen AI Quoc, In France In 1919 To Advocate For The Independence Of Vietnam
I took a whole college course on the American war in Vietnam, taught by a professor whose dad served. She was also one of my favorite-ever teachers. Fascinating, brutal. Unnecessary blóodshed. Still a sore subject for many to this day. Ken Burns and his team did a great documentary series on it. And to really sell it to any history-fascinated goth weirdos like me: Trent Reznor did music for it 😹
One myth that Dr. Citino mentioned is that Adolf Hitler was solely to blame for the German defeat in World War II. It had even been in most of the books written about the war across Europe.
Dr. Citino clarified that in reality, the German generals also share part of the blame because they carried out Hitler’s plans, despite them being flawed.
As Part Of Operation Chowhound In May 1945, An American B-17 Unloads A Load Of Food For The Starving Dutch Population Above The Completely Destroyed Schiphol
The Brits did half, too: The British Royal Air Force's was "Operation Manna." The Germans had agreed to the aid and to not firing on the planes.
Members Of The Blackfoot Tribe In Glacier National Park Circa 1913
Remember that this was staged (costumes, poses, etc) by a photographer who romanticized an earlier time.
Man Looking For A Job During The Great Depression. 1934
There are American service personnel in the current Disunited States who could honestly wear this in 2026.
Another myth about WWII was that President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew about the Pearl Harbor attack in advance. People had blamed FDR for letting the attack happen anyway, which led to the demise of more than 2,500 American servicemen.
“People are willing to entertain the craziest conspiracy theories. There are no documents that come anywhere close to saying that FDR knew about Pearl Harbor in advance,” Dr. Citino said.
Che Guevara At A Kindergarten In Shanghai (1960)
German Soldier Crying After Being Captured By The Us Army, Germany, April 1945
Battle Weary U.S. Marine During The Battle Of Peleliu, 1944
A particularly blood and brutal battle, particularly since the island wasn't strategically important once the air fields had been destroyed within the first few days. Over 20,000 combined casualties with nearly 100% casualty rate of the 1st Marine Division.
Dr. Citino has been advocating for education and the correction of misconceptions stemming from these myths about the war. As he noted, delving into the “why” often leads to uncovering the myths about these historical events.
School Children Outside Of Black Families Homes That They Had Vandalized And Set Fire During The Chicago's Red Summer Of 1919
now you see why a certain segment of the population doesn't want to teach a true history of the USA. They don't want to have to explain why great grandpa was in that mob.
Nurse Dorothy Davis, A Member Of The Famed Angels Of Bataan, Smiles With Her Sister After Being Freed From Years Of Suffering As A Prisoner Of War At Santo Tomas In The Philippines. Feb 1945
The Angels of Bataan were a group of 77 U.S. Army and Navy nurses stationed in the Philippines during World War II who continued to provide care while imprisoned by Japanese forces. Captured in 1942, they served at Santo Tomas and Los Baños internment camps, maintaining nursing shifts, surviving on starvation rations, and providing care for thousands of Allied POWs for over three years until liberation.
This Is Ruth Malcolmson, The Woman Who Won The 1924 Miss America Pageant
“Historians owe it to the millions of people who participated in this event,” Dr. Citino said. “When you try to dig as deeply as possible, you’ll often peel back the layers that you did not even suspect were there.”
B-17 Flying Fortress Cockpit
The cabin heaters in these B-17s circulated glycol from the engines in order to provide heat. Basically, the cabin was heated by what we would think of as radiator water, and it was insufficient to provide much heat at high altitudes when outside temperatures could hit -40°F or lower. The rest of crew had and needed electrically heated flight suits in the unpressurized and unheated fuselage, They could not have survived without them, and in fact some did not survive. Ball turret gunners suffered the most, and they frequently were exposed to temperatures of -60°F. There were known instances where flesh actually froze and flaked off, and treatment for frostbite after landing was very common.
Marilyn Monroe Hosting 100,000 American Troops In Korea, 1954
An American Soldier Carries An Injured Filipina Girl Through The Rubble Of Manila, 23 February 1945
My Dad came home with photos he took in Manila. I think of them every time I see photos from Gaza. I have no idea how anyone in Manila survived.
A US Soldier And His Girlfriend Waiting For A Train At Chicago Union Station In February 1943
When you want to know more but are also not wanting the answer in case it wasn't good news about them.
A Student Protester Flashes The Victory Sign In Front Of Chinese Pla Soldiers At Tiananmen Square, June 1, 1989
"Tiananmen Square, absolutely nothing happened here in 1989" - The Simpsons
Family Portrait Taken 118 Years Ago. February 13, 1905
Staff Of Auschwitz-Birkenau On A Work Vacation 1942
Photo Of A German Mother Crying After Finding Out Her Captured Son Didn’t Survive In Soviet Union Pow Camps (1955)
My Great-Great-Grandfather's House In Lemkovyna, Poland Before The Ethnic Cleansing Operations Against Rusyns. Today A Polish Family Lives There
A Youthful Marine, Da Nang, Vietnam, August 3, 1965
80 Years Ago Today (12/16/44) My Grand Uncle William W. Brown Awoke To The Massive German Offensive That Eventually Became Known As The Battle Of The Bulge, The Largest And Bloodiest Single Battle Fought By The US In WWII
Pallbearers Carry General George S. Patton, Jr.'s Casket Through The Station At Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, On Its Way To The Cemetery, 1945. Patton's Last Wish Was To Be Buried With His Men, Not At West Point As Was Originally Planned
A Paratrooper Of The 82nd Airborne Division Bids Farewell To His Gal At Penn Station In New York On His Way To The European Theater, 1943
Little known ... members of the 82nd and 101st Airborne landed in flooded fields, scattered drops, and the weight of gear that turned night jumps into silent drownings.
Pyramid Of WWI German Helmets In New York, 1919
Benito Mussolini In Milan On 25 April 1945. This Is Believed To Be The Last Picture Of Mussolini Alive
Arabs And Jews Picking Oranges Together In Jaffa, C. 1910
“Marines Of The Fifth Marine Division, Enroute To The Enemy’s “Gibraltar” Of The Volcano Islands, Iwo Jima, Make Themselves As Comfortable As Possible In Their Cramped Quarters Aboard The Transport.” February, 1945. (Original Wartime Caption)
A Man Begs His Wife's Forgiveness Inside A Divorce Court. Chicago, 1948
This is Steve and Anna Strack, then aged 37 and 33. She filed based on his drunkenness. The divorce went through. She moved into her parents' home with her 4-year-old son and worked in a gum factory (probably Wrigley?). She never remarried. Her husband remarried within a few years of the divorce. So they likely both ended up happier.
Before His Record Setting Hall Of Fame Career As The Head Coach Of The Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry Flew 30 Combat Missions As A B-17 Flying Fortress Co-Pilot (1942-45)
Us Infantry Take Cover As A White Phosphorus Round Explodes In The Background - Cologne, March 1945
Phosphorus Round ... nasty. Could burn thru clothing ... plus suck the oxygen out of confined spaces.
Marshal Josip Broz Tito Watches His Troops Enter Belgrade, Liberated Yugoslavia, 1945
My Nan and Poppy were born in 1930 in Yugoslavia. Nan was 15 when this happened, and everyone rejoiced because they thought the Americans were going to take over. Instead came decades of hunger under Communist rule -_-
German Soldiers And Lithuanian Auxiliary Police Laugh With A Looted Torah Scroll, Against The Backdrop Of A Burning Synagogue In Occupied Lithuania, 1941
Soviet Civilians In Moscow Hearing The Radio Announcement That Germany Has Started The Invasion Of The Soviet Union (June 22, 1941)
They must have been so shocked at this treachery by their former ally. Remember, people, World War 2 was started by Germany and the USSR both invading Poland.
Okinawa, Japan. April 1945. A Kamikaze Pilot Of A Japanese Zero Aircraft Plunges His Plane At The Deck Of USS Missouri. The Plane Ricocheted Away, Causing Only Minor Damage, But The Pilot Was Catapulted From The Cockpit, And His Body Demolished Part Of A Gun Mount
I was named after my grandads favourite ship that he served on during WW2, HMS Penelope, you can find me here 40.55°N 13.25°E
In 1942 The British Army Surrendered Singapore Creating One Of The Worst Disasters In British Military History. The Japanese With 30,000 Men Took The Malaysian Peninsula And Singapore In Just 70 Days, 8dec-15feb, Taking 130,000 Allied Pow's And Ending British Rule In The Far East
The View From The Ball Turret Of A B-17 Flying Fortress
A Soldier Of The American 101st Airborne Division, Drinking And Admiring The View At Berchtesgaden. WW2, 1945
My great grandfather was a Screaming Eagle in WW2. He fought in Nornandy.
Macarthur Reaches The Shore At Leyte On Oct. 20, 1944, Only Several Hours After Us Troops Had Taken The Beach
MacArthur wasn't happy about getting his feet and pants wet. The landing craft ran aground on a sand bar approximately 50 yards from shore and when a MacArthur aide demanded a smaller craft, the beach master is reported as saying "...let 'em walk." They walked.
King Ludwig Iiof Bavaria Sits Next To Austrian Actor Josef Kainz, The Picture Caused A Major Scandal. 1881
The 1881 photograph of King Ludwig II of Bavaria with actor Josef Kainz was scandalous because it broke royal protocol by showing physical contact (an actor’s hand on the king’s shoulder), and highlighted the king's intense, personal affection for an actor, which was often viewed as improper or "un-regal" behavior, leading to the original photo being censored/retouched to remove the actors hand from the King's shoulder. King widely believed and accepted King Ludwig II was gay.
Capt. Ike Fenton Of The Us Marine Corps Upon Hearing Reports That His Unit Was Almost Out Of Ammunition During A Battle In The Korean War In 1950
Francis Ivan Fenton Jr. died in 1998 after serving in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He was swarded 3 Bronze Stars and 3 Legion of Merits.
Paratroopers Just Before Takeoff On The Way To Normandy, June 5, 1944
I think my great-grandfather was there for that. If so, lucky for me he survived.
An Israeli Soldier Drinking A Glass Of Water From The Jordan River After The Six-Day War In July 1967
What is more is Israel offered Jordan that if they stayed out of the War with Egypt and Syria Israel wouldnt attack the West Bank of Jordan (the area Jordan annexed in 1950, today known as a the West Bank, and bc Jordan was backed and armed by the US and UK, just like Israel was, they thought Jordan would agree) on day 1 of the war, and Jordan replied with an alpha strike of their entire airforce against Israel, and attacked with 55,000 soldiers and 270 of the newest US made Patton Tanks (assisted by 15,000 Iraqi Soldiers and 100 Iraqi Tanks) against a force of 35,000 Israeli Soldiers and 100 Israeli Tanks, mostly modified Shermans with a few centurion and Patton tanks, who pushed them back (and by day 3, massily reinforced by troops transferred from the Egyptian Front, and within a few days Jordan lost their West Bank to Israel and full retreated. Its why in 73 Jordan decided to stay out. Still till today Jordan considers the move to join in one of their biggest mistakes
German Propaganda Photo Of Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski, The Leader Of The Polish Home Army, Shaking Hands With Erich Von Dem Bach-Zelewski, The Commander Of The German Forces In Warsaw, After Signing The Surrender Treaty Of The Failed Warsaw Uprising (October 1944)
Bór-Komorowski famously refused to arm the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943, when the Govt in Exile ordered him to he gave 9 pistols, 2 rifles and 600 bullets. When the uprising began, they had 11 pistols, and 2 rifles, mostly the few he gave them. The govt in exile wanted him to give them 1000 guns, and a ton of ammo. They didnt think it would work, but they thought it would bog down the Germans, bc of the smaller scale it only bogged down a few thousand German Troops, rather than the larger number the govt in exile wanted
A Cossack Policeman, To The Amusement Of Hungarian Soldiers, Slashes A Captured Soviet Partisan With A Saber, Occupied Ukraine Ssr, September 1941
many Cossacks served in the SS Auxiliary in Ukraine, they were so brutal the SS Einsatzgruppen commanders requested to Himmler that they be reassigned from assisting them. The Einsatzgruppen which k****d over 1 million Jews in mobile d***h squads, the German professional Jew killers, thought these guys were too brutal and barbaric for them. Though in the 1600s the Cossacks massacred over 100,000 Jews in Ukraine, and the Ukraine Pogroms of the late 1800s were mostly Cossack. Basically Jewish History doesnt look well upon the Cossacks
"Palestine Is Calling. Jews Are Not Tolerated In Norway." Oslo, 1940
Back when Jews were told to go back to Palestine, and when Palestine was a term associated with Zionism and rejected by the Arab world. Back when in Europe the term Palestinian mean Jews regardless of where they were from (except in the UK where it meant anyone from the British Mandate of Palestine, though it was also used to also just mean Jew). The repurposing of the term when Zionism discarded what they viewed as their roman colonial oppression name, did it get embraced by the arabs and the term Palestine and Palestinian became changed
Corpsmen Of The U.S. 4th Infantry Division Treat A Wounded Man In The Wehebachtal Valley In The Hurtgenwald.18.11.1944 Rhineland, Germany
That this world hasn't learned from anything. Trump and his ilk are doing exactly what the rest of the world said shouldn't happen again. Can someone please switch the light off on their way out?
I often wonder if there will be a time when there are no more wars ANYWHERE!
Load More Replies...War photos sure get the lot, don't they? We sure haven't learned our lessons very well, have we?
That this world hasn't learned from anything. Trump and his ilk are doing exactly what the rest of the world said shouldn't happen again. Can someone please switch the light off on their way out?
I often wonder if there will be a time when there are no more wars ANYWHERE!
Load More Replies...War photos sure get the lot, don't they? We sure haven't learned our lessons very well, have we?
