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World history is the narrative of humanity's past, understood and studied through archaeology, anthropology, genetics, and linguistics. Since the invention of writing, human history has been studied through primary and secondary source documents.

And the chances are you had (or have) a fair amount of this discipline back in high school and if you hadn’t slept through it, you’d have much better knowledge of it than you do now.

In fact, an article in The New York Times reported "Only 22 percent of American students had mastered enough history in their high school days to identify two contributions made by Lincoln to this country." The thing is, it was published in 1943, but it could have been written today.

Luckily, there’s this Facebook page dedicated to sharing some of the most interesting and lesser known bits of history. It won’t make us re-learn everything from scratch, but it will surely spark this lost interest into the times of the past.

Titled “The World Of History,” the page reminds us how similar yet different humans were hundreds of years ago compared with us today. Below, we wrapped up some of the most interesting posts shared here, so scroll down and enjoy!

#1

A Victorian Couple Trying Not To Laugh While Getting Their Portraits Done, 1890s

A Victorian Couple Trying Not To Laugh While Getting Their Portraits Done, 1890s

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#2

A Serbian Soldier Sleeps With His Father Who Came To Visit Him On The Front Line Near Belgrade, 1914/1915

A Serbian Soldier Sleeps With His Father Who Came To Visit Him On The Front Line Near Belgrade, 1914/1915

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#3

An East German Border Guard Offers A Flower Through A Gap In The Berlin Wall On The Morning It Fell, 1989

An East German Border Guard Offers A Flower Through A Gap In The Berlin Wall On The Morning It Fell, 1989

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There’s something uncanny and absolutely fascinating about looking at old photographs that document the people, the events, the places, the current affairs of the past. It also challenges our perception of time, because as distant as we feel from the subjects shown in the photographs, we still share this similarity that’s impossible to ignore.

According to Lisa Yaszek, a Regents Professor of Science Fiction Studies at Georgia Tech where she researches and teaches science fiction as a global language crossing centuries, continents, and cultures, old photos affect our perception of time in unique ways like nothing else:

“By making abstract historical events visually concrete, giving us an emotional connection to eras we might not otherwise know very much about, exactly, through books or family stories,” she explained in our previous in-depth interview on a similar topic.

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#6

On July 17, 1967, A Florida Lineman Named Randall Champion Accidentally Touched A High-Voltage Line — Which Sent 4,000 Volts Of Electricity Through His Body And Stopped His Heart

On July 17, 1967, A Florida Lineman Named Randall Champion Accidentally Touched A High-Voltage Line — Which Sent 4,000 Volts Of Electricity Through His Body And Stopped His Heart

Luckily, his friend and fellow lineman J.D. Thompson was close enough to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until paramedics arrived. Thanks to Thompson's quick thinking, Champion survived the incident, and even reported to work the following week.

Unbeknownst to Champion and Thompson, a photographer for the Jacksonville Journal was standing just below them to capture this daring rescue. From the ground, Rocco Morabito snapped one of the most moving images in history — "The Kiss of Life."

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kicki avatar
Panda Kicki
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is it possible to start a heart with mouth to mouth only? Or did he somehow managed to do compressions as well? Last CPR-education I was at told us to skip mouth to mouth completely and only do compressions as the unconsious body gets enough air from the compression movements itself.

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The professor at Georgia Tech added that all the subjects of these photos look so alive and have such a range of emotions on their faces—“from determination to silliness to fear to hope. It reminds us that historical events don’t just happen on their own—they involve real people taking real action, for better or for worse.”

While looking back into history from the present standpoint, it’s easier to imagine that life was simpler back in the day. But the photos are evidence that’s not the case. In fact, people in the past led rich and complex lives, just as we do today.

#7

During WWII, Jews In Budapest Were Brought To The Edge Of The Danube, Ordered To Remove Their Shoes, And Shot, Falling Into The Water Below

During WWII, Jews In Budapest Were Brought To The Edge Of The Danube, Ordered To Remove Their Shoes, And Shot, Falling Into The Water Below

60 pairs of iron shoes now line the river's bank, a ghostly memorial to the victims. 'Shoes on the Danube Promenade' by Can Togay and Gyula Pauer.

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troufaki13
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All those years of wars and suffering and humanity still hasn't learned... :(

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#8

3 People Pose For A Photo Whilst Wearing Face Masks During The Second Wave Of The Spanish Flu In California; 1918

3 People Pose For A Photo Whilst Wearing Face Masks During The Second Wave Of The Spanish Flu In California; 1918

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0172914 avatar
Livingroom Panda
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

that sign should be a law edit: thanks for the upvotes! i didn't ever think id get that many

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“For instance, we tend to assume that in the past, women were limited to work as wives and mothers, and we certainly see a number of images here celebrating women’s work in the home. But we also see women doing all sorts of work in the public sphere as well—everything from attending school graduations and working on supercomputers to taking back the streets of postwar London and bouncing drunks out of bars!”

#10

Father, Son, Grandfather And Great Grandfather, New Guinea, 1970

Father, Son, Grandfather And Great Grandfather, New Guinea, 1970

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#11

Double Leg Amputee Railway Signalman, James Wide, Photographed Working Alongside His Pet And Assistant, Jack Baboon, In Cape Town During The 1880s

Double Leg Amputee Railway Signalman, James Wide, Photographed Working Alongside His Pet And Assistant, Jack Baboon, In Cape Town During The 1880s

James Wide purchased a chacma baboon in 1881 and trained him to push his wheelchair and to operate the railway signals under supervision.

After initial scepticism, the railway decided to officially employ Jack once his job competency was verified. The baboon was paid twenty cents a day, and half a bottle of a beer each week. It is widely reported in his nine years of employment with the railway company, Jack never made a single mistake. That's is wild and he worked there for nine years.

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#12

Children Going To School Having To Cross A River By Pulley, Modena, Italy, 1959

Children Going To School Having To Cross A River By Pulley, Modena, Italy, 1959

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“And that is what old photos do best: they remind us that people in the past have had many of the same challenges and triumphs as we have, and that we can look to them for inspiration regarding how to make sense of the present and build new futures,” Yaszek concluded.

#13

A British Sailor Removing The Leg Chains Off An Enslaved Man Who Had Worn Them For Three Years

A British Sailor Removing The Leg Chains Off An Enslaved Man Who Had Worn Them For Three Years

The enslaved man, along with others, had escaped a slave-trading post off the coast of Oman when they heard the Royal Navy was nearby. ⁣(1907)

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#14

18th Century Device That Allowed Researchers To Work/Read Up To 8 Open Books At A Time

18th Century Device That Allowed Researchers To Work/Read Up To 8 Open Books At A Time

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#15

This Is About A Victim, Not About Who Is To Blame. It Would Be Lovely To Honor Her And Others Who Lost Their Lives Here, And Debate Specifics Elsewhere

This Is About A Victim, Not About Who Is To Blame. It Would Be Lovely To Honor Her And Others Who Lost Their Lives Here, And Debate Specifics Elsewhere

The image has become iconic and the woman in it, a then 28-year-old Marcy Borders, became known as the 'dust lady' in the days after 9/11. She had been working in the North Tower of the World Trade Center only a month, on the 81st floor only 12 stories down from where American Airlines Flight 11 made impact. She made her way down the main stairwell of the tower, along with hundreds of others escaping. In the time it took her to reach the ground floor, the South Tower had just collapsed and an enormous dust cloud, visible from space, was rising. “I took chase from this cloud of dust and smoke that was following me,” Borders said. “Once it caught me it threw me on my hands and knees. Every time I inhaled my mouth filled up with it, I was choking. I was saying to myself out loud, I didn’t want to die, I didn’t want to die.” She was pulled from the dust and into a nearby lobby by a man, and that is where photographer Stan Honda snapped this haunting photo, seen around the world as a testament to the horrors of 9/11.

Marcy Borders passed away from stomach cancer in August 2015, cancer she believes was exacerbated by inhaling dust on that fateful day. The 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund and the World Trade Center Health Program estimate that over 2,000 have died of illnesses related to the attack over the past 18 years.

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#16

Knife Grinders In France 1902, They Worked Lying Down To Save Their Backs And Had Dogs Sit On Their Legs For Warmth

Knife Grinders In France 1902, They Worked Lying Down To Save Their Backs And Had Dogs Sit On Their Legs For Warmth

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#17

Berlin, Germany, 1985-2018

Berlin, Germany, 1985-2018

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kayjunmoon avatar
Kayjunmoon
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually, whilst not everything we hoped for has come to pass since the breaking up of the iron curtain, this picture shows the oppressive nature of life before the wall came down.

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#18

The Moment When President Bush Was Informed About The 9/11 Terrorist Attack, 2001

The Moment When President Bush Was Informed About The 9/11 Terrorist Attack, 2001

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Paul Macdonell
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bush was stunned and perhaps looked a little dazed but the fact is it was the Secret Service's job to just haul him out as fast as possible. There was a major attack happening in the country and he should have been grabbed and thrown in the limo.

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#19

A Photograph Of A Filipino-American Family Taken More Than A Decade After The Us Colonization Of The Islands. The Photo Dates Back To 1912

A Photograph Of A Filipino-American Family Taken More Than A Decade After The Us Colonization Of The Islands. The Photo Dates Back To 1912

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#20

British Soldier Retrieving Bandages From The Kit Of A Dog During Wwi, 1915

British Soldier Retrieving Bandages From The Kit Of A Dog During Wwi, 1915

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#21

The 2800 Year Old Kiss!

The 2800 Year Old Kiss!

These human remains were unearthed in 1972 at the Teppe Hasanlu archaeological site, located in the Solduz Valley in the West Azerbaijan Province of Iran. The archaeologist who studied the skeletons confirms they were there since 2,800 years ago. The University of Pennsylvania has determined that the couple died together around 800 BC. The skeletons do appear like they are kissing each other before they died – as if to signify that love is eternal.

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michellesavage226 avatar
Michelle M
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Before dreaming up any frisky story, note that both skeletons are believed to be male. The one on the right was a young adult male while the left one was 30 - 35 years old. It was hard to determine the left's gender, but after years of identifying as a female, it was later proven to be a male. Edited to let y'all know that I'm not homophobic. Wanted to let you know that they were males, so you can take that into account when dreaming up your frisky tales. A case of Romeo and Jack instead of Juliet.

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#22

Residents Of West Berlin Show Their Children To Their Grandparents Living In East Berlin, 1961

Residents Of West Berlin Show Their Children To Their Grandparents Living In East Berlin, 1961

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#23

A Berlin Boy Sells Lemonade Using A Portable Lemonade Dispenser, 1931.

A Berlin Boy Sells Lemonade Using A Portable Lemonade Dispenser, 1931.

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#24

Meeting Around A Baguette. France 1950. Photo By: Robert Doisneau

Meeting Around A Baguette. France 1950. Photo By: Robert Doisneau

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#25

Canadian And German Soldiers Sharing A Cigarette During The Second Battle Of Passchendaele, November 1917

Canadian And German Soldiers Sharing A Cigarette During The Second Battle Of Passchendaele, November 1917

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#26

Vietnam War Helmet Graffiti, 1967- “War Is Good Business- Invest Your Son”

Vietnam War Helmet Graffiti, 1967- “War Is Good Business- Invest Your Son”

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#27

16 Year-Old Anti-Aircraft Soldier Of The German Army, Hans-Georg Henke, Cries From Combat Shock As His World Falls Apart. He Was Captured By The Us 9th Army In Hessen, Germany In 1945

16 Year-Old Anti-Aircraft Soldier Of The German Army, Hans-Georg Henke, Cries From Combat Shock As His World Falls Apart. He Was Captured By The Us 9th Army In Hessen, Germany In 1945

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pom avatar
humdrum
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He must have been in the Hitlerjugend at least since it was obligatory in 1941, but probably all his life. He didn't know any better, or anything else, really. EDIT I just read his parents were communists but they had died by then. After the war he went to communist East Germany.

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#28

The Statue Of Liberty - Paris, France - 1886 (Before It Was Transported To America)

The Statue Of Liberty - Paris, France - 1886 (Before It Was Transported To America)

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taradawn44 avatar
Tara Dawn
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

American here. I do not believe we deserve this beautiful gift any longer. But thank you France.

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#31

Town Of Rysstad, Norway, 1888 - 2013

Town Of Rysstad, Norway, 1888 - 2013

Not much I could find on this small town but the white, wooden, octagonal church was built in 1838 by Anders Thorsen Syrtveit using plans by the famous Norwegian architect Hans Linstow, who built the Royal Palace in Oslo. The church seats around 200 people.

The town dates back to the Middle Ages and was once a municipality of Norway. Population today of around one thousand.

Seen in an ' The Atlantic' article which details “Tilbakeblikk”, the name of a joint project between the Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute and Norsk Folkemuseum. Tilbakeblikk means “retrospect” or “looking back” in Norwegian, describing the project’s use of photographs taken of the same places separated by long periods of time to illustrate landscape changes in Norway.

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#32

A German Woman With Her All Belonging Sitting Alone In War Ruined Cologne. 1945

A German Woman With Her All Belonging Sitting Alone In War Ruined Cologne. 1945

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#33

Abraham Lincoln At Gettysburg During The Civil War. Left: Allan Pinkerton, Right: Gen John Mcclernand. 1863. (Colorized)

Abraham Lincoln At Gettysburg During The Civil War. Left: Allan Pinkerton, Right: Gen John Mcclernand. 1863. (Colorized)

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#35

Anatoly Golombievsky, A Soviet Veteran Who Lost Both His Legs During The Battle For Novorossiysk, During World War II, Takes The Salute Of 4 Cadets At The Nakhimov Navy School On V-Day In Leningrad, 1989

Anatoly Golombievsky, A Soviet Veteran Who Lost Both His Legs During The Battle For Novorossiysk, During World War II, Takes The Salute Of 4 Cadets At The Nakhimov Navy School On V-Day In Leningrad, 1989

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#36

Tricycle Of 3 Year Old Boy Named Shin, Who Died 1,500 Meters From The Hypocenter Of Hiroshima Atomic Bombing, 1945

Tricycle Of 3 Year Old Boy Named Shin, Who Died 1,500 Meters From The Hypocenter Of Hiroshima Atomic Bombing, 1945

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#38

The Queen Of England And Her Husband At The Horse Races In 1968

The Queen Of England And Her Husband At The Horse Races In 1968

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#40

General George S. Patton’s Pet Dog On The Day Of His Owner’s Death, December 21st, 1945

General George S. Patton’s Pet Dog On The Day Of His Owner’s Death, December 21st, 1945

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michellesavage226 avatar
Michelle M
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you want/need to cry, squeeze out the excess liquid in your eyes, then look up YouTube videos of dogs (and other animals) mourning their humans. I prescribe three videos in the morning, three at night. Thank me later.

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#41

Pope John Paul II Talks With Mehmet Agca, The Man Who Tried To Assassinate Him, In An Italian Prison, 1983

Pope John Paul II Talks With Mehmet Agca, The Man Who Tried To Assassinate Him, In An Italian Prison, 1983

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#42

A Woman Walks Through The Ruins Of Berlin During The Battle Of Berlin, May 1945

A Woman Walks Through The Ruins Of Berlin During The Battle Of Berlin, May 1945

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#43

Acrobats Balance On Top Of The Empire State Building, C. 1934

Acrobats Balance On Top Of The Empire State Building, C. 1934

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#44

Rejected Designs For The Eiffel Tower

Rejected Designs For The Eiffel Tower

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#45

1910, Mailing A Child Via Parcel Post In The USA, The Post Office’s Parcel Post Was Introduced In 1913

1910, Mailing A Child Via Parcel Post In The USA, The Post Office’s Parcel Post Was Introduced In 1913

Within weeks, a number of parents attempted to send their children by post. In Ohio, Jesse and Mathilda Beagle posted their son James, eight months old, to his grandmother. The delivery cost 15c - cheaper than a rail ticket. Mr and Mrs Beagle insured James for $50.

In 1920, the Post Office elected to no longer deliver children until present time

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#46

Mummified Head (Mokomokai) With Moko Facial Tattoo

Mummified Head (Mokomokai) With Moko Facial Tattoo

In mummification, the brain and eyes were removed, all the holes in the skull were sealed with flax fibers and gum. The head was then steamed in an oven, before being smoked in a fire, then left in the sun for several days. After that, the head was hydrated with shark fat oil - Maori culture -

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#47

"4 Children For Sale", 1948

"4 Children For Sale", 1948

The photo first appeared in the The Vidette-Messenger of Valparaiso, Indiana on August 5, 1948. The children looked posed and a bit confused as their pregnant mother hides in shame her face from the photographer after putting her childrens up for sale. The caption read: “A big ‘For Sale’ sign in a Chicago yard mutely tells the tragic story of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Chalifoux, who face eviction from their apartment. With no place to turn, the jobless coal truck driver and his wife decide to sell their four children. Mrs. Lucille Chalifoux turns her head from camera above while her children stare wonderingly. On the top step are Lana, 6, and Rae, 5. Below are Milton, 4, and Sue Ellen, 2”.

Family members accused the mother of being paid to stage the photo, which may have been part of the story, but unfortunately, she was dead serious about selling her children. Within two years all of the children pictures, as well as the baby she was carrying at the time, were sold off to different homes.

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#48

A 'Knocker-Up' In London (1929). Before Alarm Clocks, People Were Paid To Wake Clients Up For Work By Knocking On Their Doors And Windows With A Stick

A 'Knocker-Up' In London (1929). Before Alarm Clocks, People Were Paid To Wake Clients Up For Work By Knocking On Their Doors And Windows With A Stick

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#49

New York City, 1900s. (Colorized)

New York City, 1900s. (Colorized)

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melelliott avatar
Ripley
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nobody even bats an eye at the dead horse. Most probably a regular enough occurrence that it's just not that interesting. We sometimes look at the past with rose-tinted glasses, but things were definitely not "the good old days".

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#50

Dimple Making Machine Made In 1936

Dimple Making Machine Made In 1936

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Hawkmoon
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It reminds me of that silly vacuum thing some girls were doing to puff up their lips on tiktok or instagram that caused a few panic attacks.

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Note: this post originally had 63 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.