“History In Pictures”: 131 Interesting And Fascinating Photos That Might Give You A New Perspective On The Past
History used to be one of our favorite subjects back in school. We absolutely adored learning about ancient cultures, long-gone civilizations, recent developments, and how things changed (though people mostly stayed the same). So whenever there’s a chance to share this passion for the past with you, we pounce!
The ‘Things From The Past’ Facebook page (aka the ‘History in Pictures’ project) is a wonderful archive of some truly stunning photos of everything historical. From posts about vintage fashion and political history to stunning features of archeological marvels, the page has a bit of everything for the historically-minded internet user. Not every photo is about happy events, but then again, history is nuanced and reflects the best and worst of humanity.
Today, we’re featuring some of their best pics. We’d love to hear your thoughts about history as a subject and what period you loved learning the most about. Hopefully, this list will reignite your passion for learning about how things were, not just how they are now. Turn the time machine on, dear Pandas. Onwards!
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Terry Fox, A 21 Year Old Canadian Who Lost A Leg To Cancer, Began A Cross-Canada Run To Raise Money For Cancer Research. He Ran The Equivalent Of A Full Marathon A Day. He Made It 143 Days And 5,373 Km Before The Spread Of His Cancer Forced Him To Quit. He Died June 1981
Albert Einstein Teaching At Lincoln, The United State’s First Historical Black University, 1946
In 1946 he gave the commencement speech at Lincoln University, a historically black college, where he taught the theory of relativity to physics students. During that visit, Einstein said, “The separation of the races is not a disease of the colored people, but a disease of the white people."
Camberley Kate, A.k.a. Kate Ward, And Her Stray Dogs In England In 1962. She Never Turned A Stray Dog Away, Taking Care Of More Than 600 Dogs In Her Lifetime
The ‘Things From The Past’ project has over half-a-million followers, and it’s easy to see why. The content they post is pretty broad in scope. There really is a bit of everything for everyone: from fashion lovers and architecture fans to artists and those who have a more traditional understanding of what the word ‘history’ is all about.
The fun thing about accounts like this one is how much they spark our interest. You can’t help but want to Google a bit, surf Wikipedia, and learn more about the past. You start with a simple photo, a tiny tidbit of trivia, and you end up spending hours researching something you might not even have known existed that morning.
Betty White Dressed In Vintage 1940s Clothing To Celebrate The 75th Tournament Of Roses, 1963
A Baby Lamb Snuggles Up To A Sleeping Boy, March 16, 1940
"Girls In The Windows" Taken By Ormond Gigli In 1960 In NYC. The Building Was Knocked Down The Next Day
Did you notice? We’re fans of learning new and interesting stuff. We always like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. But when it comes to information that’s shared online, we like to be slightly skeptical: it’s important to do your own research, whatever fact or photos you might come across. Even a simple Google search can work if your inner alarm bells go off.
Dr. Religa Monitors His Patient’s Vitals After 23-Hour-Long (Successful) Heart Transplant. His Assistant Is Sleeping In The Corner, 1987
The Beatles On What Kind Of Girl Do They Prefer, 1960s
Sister Mary Kenneth Keller, The First Woman To Earn A Doctorate In Computer Science In The United States, 1965
I was curious about this because I suspected there weren't many computer science departments before 1965, let alone doctorates in computer science. So, I looked it up! The first two people to receive a doctorate in computer science in the USA (coincidentally, both on 7th June 1965) were Sister Mary Kenneth Keller (PhD, University of Wisconsin) and Irving C. Tang (DSc, Washington University in St. Louis). Source: https://cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm/159591-who-earned-first-computer-science-phd/fulltext
That way, you can cross-reference facts and even check the reliability of the source before you go resharing something on social media. We know how awesome it is to tell your friends about some totally cool historical thing. However, we also know that in this (arguably) post-truth world, it’s better to be careful than naive. Just because something’s repeated constantly doesn’t make it the truth. And conspiracy theories can spread like wildfire thanks to the double-edged sword that is the internet.
Portrait Of A Filipina/Chinese Woman From The Philippines, 1875 Photo By Francisco Van Camp
1,500-Year-Old Ceramic Maya Figurine With Removable Helmet, From El Perú-Waka, Petén, Guatemala
Queen Isabel II, Veiled, 1855 C By Camillo Torreggiani. Masterful Use Of Light And Shadows To Make It Look Like Real Lace
Professor Joseph Pierre, an expert in psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, previously explained to Bored Panda that certain historical events get a lot more attention than others. That means that some people come up with way more conspiracies about them.
“It is true that certain historical events do tend to attract conspiracy theories and there is evidence that times of societal upheaval or crisis when people are feeling unsafe and desperate for clarity offer a kind of fertile soil for conspiracy theory beliefs,” the professor told Bored Panda.
This 1955 Photo Is One Of Walter Chandoha’s Most Famous Shots. “My Daughter Paula And The Kitten Both ‘Smiled’ For The Camera At The Same Time. …but The Cat’s Not Smiling, He’s Meowing”
Monty Python Crew, 1976
The Interior Of The Orient Express. This Long-Distance Passenger Train Service Was Created In 1883
“Over the past 60 years, the assassination of JFK, the death of Princess Diana, and 9/11 are the most obvious examples of national traumas surrounded by conspiracy theory beliefs. We should acknowledge that many conspiracy theories, like the idea that the Earth is flat, aren’t really based on any kind of obvious traumatic event,” Professor Pierre said.
Miss America, 1924
4000-Year-Old Writing Board By An Egyptian Student With Teacher's Spelling Corrections In Red
London Punks And A Surprised Grandmother, 1982
The expert said that those who believe in conspiracies tend to have a simplistic view of the world. They see everything as a struggle between good and evil. There are no nuances, only black-and-white tones.
“People who believe in conspiracy theories are also often attracted to the Manichean narratives that conspiracy theories offer, involving battles of good and evil pitting against each other in an almost apocalyptic fashion. So, it should come as no surprise that conspiracy theories might sprout up from World War II—a real-life apocalyptic battle between good and evil,” he said.
Buzz Aldrin, First Self-Portrait In Space. 1966
Hattie Tom, A Young Chiricahua Apache, 1899
Blackfoot Chief Two Guns White Calf, Early 1900s
Meanwhile, physicist Steven Wooding told Bored Panda: "If a theory explaining an aspect of reality has monocausal tendencies (or even shamelessly presents itself as monocausal), it is highly likely to be wrong. We should develop a habit of thinking about this every time we hear a theory supposed to explain some 'hidden truth' to us. Then, if you think to yourself, 'Wow, that sounds pretty monocausal!'—it's a sign you should do your research."
Portrait Of Ah-Weh-Eyu (Pretty Flower), Of The Seneca Nation, 1908. Photo By J.l. Blessing
People In Times Square, New York City Celebrate The Surrender Of Germany, May 7th, 1945
What an amazing picture of so many different people celebrating the same thing. True unity.
Sophia Loren, 1960
According to the scientist, people love conspiracy theories because they want simplicity and clarity in a world that is anything but.
"The world is complicated: many processes are going on that we don't have time to follow, don't have the knowledge to explore, don't have an awareness of their existence. Conspiracy theories are usually simple: in their worldview, one cause determines everything (the world is ruled by lizard people, etc.)," he told Bored Panda.
A 4,500-Year-Old Egyptian Bead Dre
Don't show this to Kim K. She will insist on wearing it for the next Met Gala.
One Of The Most Beautiful Trains Ever Made, The ‘Mercury’ Streamliner, Designed In Art Deco-Style By Henry Dreyfuss For The New York Central Railroad. Here's One Captured In Chicago In 1936
Freddie Mercury And David Bowie Backstage At Live Aid 1985
He said that conspiracy theorists provide a clear vision of the world that’s grounded on a narrative where good and evil clash. “They give the false impression of thoroughly understanding and explaining the world in a simple way. Studies prove that people who believe in one conspiracy theory are much more likely to believe in another. In this sense, I think that every conspiracy theory is wrong. They differ only in scale, but they are all part of the same mechanism."
Wedding Rings Removed From Holocaust Victims Before They Were Executed, 1945
Microsoft Staff. December 7, 1978
Bill Gates almost looks like a caricature of himself. Edit: he's bottom left.
Electric Cars Charging, 1917
Imagine how advanced EVs would be now if we'd expanded on this technology rather than just going down the dead liquid dinosaur route
This Miniature Ecosystem Has Been Thriving In An Almost Completely Isolated State Since 1960. It Has Been Watered Just Once In That Time
That's incredible! Nicely done, I try so hard and I sadly can't keep plants alive for very long.
A Beautiful Antique Hearse From Dresden, Germany
Bison Paintings In The Cave Of Altamira, Spain. They Were Painted Over 20,000 Years Between 35,000 And 15,000 Bc
The Spectacular Secret Treasures That Have Been Growing Beneath Mexico For 500,000 Years: A Cave With Crystals Up To 11 Meters In Length And A Weight Up To 55 Tons
A California Teacher Teaching The Physics Of Surfing, 1970
Dolly Parton With Her Husband Carl Dean, 1960s
Children In Minobashi Raincoats Going To A New Year's Event, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, 1956
Country Store On Dirt Road, North Carolina In 1939
Sigourney Weaver Promotional Shot For Alien By Eva Sereny In Paris After The Movie Wrapped In 1978
In The 1940s, Men Dressed In Shorts And Cowboy Boots Served Up To Women At A Drive Through In Dallas, Texas "Log Lodge Tavern"
Serving A Snack On Scandinavian Airlines Flight, 1969
Roman Mosaic Discovered In 2021 In Old Town Of Hvar, Croatia
Women Delivering Ice, 1918
7000-Year-Old Neolithic Figurines From Romania, Called "The Thinker" And "The Sitting Woman"
Men Of The Seaforth Highlanders Rest In A Trench With A Dog During Ww1, 1915
Gertrude Ederle Becomes The First Woman To Swim The English Channel In 1926
The Gardener At Stonehenge Mowing The Lawn, C. 1955
The Wedding Portrait Of A Married Khalkha Mongolian Couple, 1920s
Mom Uses A Trash Can To Contain Her Baby While She Crochets In The Park, 1969
Iron Workers On The North Tower Of The World Trade Center In 1973
They don't seem to wear harnesses? I'm getting dizzy just looking at them
Hippie Dad Walking With His Daughter In Amsterdam. By Tony Riera, 1968
Shoshone Warrior Mooragootch In A Photograph Taken In 1884
40s Style
"Human Fly" Harry Gardiner Hanging From The 24th Floor Of The Hotel Mcalpin On Broadway In 1922. He Was Famous For Climbing Buildings Wearing His Ordinary Street Clothes And Using No Other Special Equipment
Actress And Activist Tippi Hedren In The Kitchen Of Her Home In Acton, California In 1992. Tippi Was On The Phone As A Tiger Named Zoe Jumped Through The Kitchen Window. Photography By Eddie Sanderson
Rides At A Fair In France In 1910
A Young Girl With Three, Baby Owls. Photo By Oskar Jarén, Sweden, 1925
Nina Simone Photographed At The Newport Jazz Festival By David Redfern, 1968
A Boy Is Playing Atari Home Video Games In 1982
Freddie Mercury At The Nagoya Castle, 1975
Michael Caine On His Bike
Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s 3,300-Year-Old Sandals
Flapper Getting A Tattoo On Her Thigh In The 1920s
The Rings Of Saturn, Observed By Voyager 2 In 1981
Joaquin Phoenix Photographed By George Holz In New York, 1996
Haid Al-Jazil Is A 500-Year-Old Mud-Brick Village On Top Of A Massive Boulder. Wadi Dawan, Yemen
A Horse-Drawn Omnibus From The 1890s. Two Or Three Horses Would Pull Them. Companies That Ran Them Like The London Omnibus Company Had Stables Around The City To Switch Them Out Periodically
The Hunter Brothers Doing Some Mid-Air Mechanical Checkups During Their 23 Day-Long Flight (Without Landing) In 1930. Food And Fuel Were Delivered To Them Periodically By Another Airplane
Paris, 50s. Photo By Georg Stefan Troller
Love this. Vibes of Rear Window, watching other people get on with their lives, even if this was staged.
A 2000-Year-Old Giant Cat Geoglyph Found Amid Peru's Famous Nazca Lines
Johnny Cash Before Going On Stage At Folsom Prison, 1968
A Mother Places A Sign On Her Young Bicycle Rider's Back, 1937
Nothing instills confidence in a young rider like having to wear a sign asking others not to murder him.
A Swimmobile In New York City, 1960
The Beatles Waiting To Cross Abbey Road, 1969. Photo By Ian Macmillan
Paul isn't barefoot, so rumours of his death before Abbey Road are definitely exaggerated.
Keith Richards ( Rolling Stones ) With His Mum Doris In 1945
A 2,300 Year Old Egyptian Sarcophagus Displayed As Found At The Sakkara Pyramids South Of Cairo, May 3, 2005
Actor Lloyd Bridges With His Son Jeff Bridges
Frida Kahlo By Gisèle Freund
Danny Trejo With Daughter, 90s
Backstage At A Berlin Cabaret 1920s
1980s Computer Ad
Robert Wadlow, Tallest Human In Recorded History, With His Parents And Siblings, 1935
"Human Fly" John "Jammie" Reynolds Balancing On A New York Rooftop, Between 1915 And 1920
Men Waiting In A Line For The Possibility Of A Job During The Great Depression
Not exactly. This photo is captioned as "long line of jobless and homeless men wait outside to get free dinner at New York's Municipal Lodging House during the Great Depression." From 1909 to 1949 the Lodging House fed 1000 residents three meals a day, plus countless poor people during the great depression. Male residents were asked to work a few hours a day in exchange of food and shelter, while the about 200 women and children were housed and fed without obligations.
Brunettes And Redheads 'Protesting' At The Hollywood Premiere Of The Film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” In 1953
Brigitte Bardot In Paris, 1958
John F. Kennedy Campaigning Door-To-Door In West Virginia, 1960
Country Roads, take me home to the place where i belong WeSt ViRgInIa
Young Boy In The Gardens Of Bomarzo, Lazio, Italy 1952
Victorian Prosthetic Arm, Europe, 1850-1910
Charlie Chaplin And Italian Boxer Primo Carnera, 1930
The Original Lone Ranger, Clayton Moore, Photographed In Costume In 1992
Lower Part Of A Leg And Foot With A Sandal Of The Statue Of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Reign 161-180 A.d.) Found At Sagalassos, Turkey In 2008
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
A 2000-Year-Old Roman Child's Wooden Sword Found At The Vindolanda Fort Site In Northern England
Helmet And Mask With Gilded Crest. Japan, Edo Period, 17th-18th Century
Two Sisters Selling Flags During World War I To Raise Money For Indian Soldiers, C. 1914-18
College Girls Goofing Off, 1920s
Trip To Mars
German Firefighting Sprinkler Suit From 1931. A Hand Lever Controlled The Level Of Spray
A Mosaic In The House Of Theseus. Cyprus, 2nd Century Ce
A Canal Being Drained And Cleaned In Venice, Italy, 1956. Photo By Bill Perlmutter
One Of The Earliest Photos Of The Taj Mahal, India, 1850s
Walt Disney Filming On A Beach, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 1941
And here I thought Disney had that grey suit permanently stapled on.
Bugs Bunny Through The Years
Ric Flair Poses With The The Rock, 1980s
Portrait Of A Lady With Lovely Long Hair In 1890
Paul Mccartney And Family, 1976
David Bowie Photographed In New York By Andy Warhol, 1971
The Nemean Lion Parade Burgonet Of Charles V Made By Famed Armorer Filippo Negroli In Milan C. 1541
The Completed Head Of The Statue Of Liberty On Display At The Third Paris World Fair In Paris, France, 1878
Thank you, France. It's a gift that America cherishes to this day, even if we do not live up to the ideals.
Construction Of Christ The Redeemer In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Graf Zeppelin Flying Over Montevideo, Uruguay In June Of 1934
The First Miss Universe Pageant, 1952
Cindy Crawford, 1992
Badge Of The Order Of Santiago, Made Of Gold, Emeralds, And Diamonds. Spain, 1670-1679
A Young 19-Year-Old Teddy Roosevelt At Harvard, 1877
That's 19 years old? They were truly old for their age in those olden days!
Rush Hour, New York City, 1909
Daft Punk Without Helmets Performing At A French Nightclub L’an-Fer. 1996
For context on the name of the club it's a play on words. "L'enfer" means hell, "L'an fer" (pronounced the same way) is the iron year
A 2-3-2 Soviet Super-Speed Steam Locomotive. Moscow, Ussr, 1939
Robe And Axe Of Giovanni Battista Bugatti, Who Was The Official Executioner For The Papal States From 1796 To 1864. During His Tenure He Executed 514 People
How messed up is it that the Catholic Church had an offical executioner?!
Photographer R.j. Salmon Over Fleet Street, London, December 1929
1969 Fender Rhodes Student Piano In Avocado Green
New Yorkers Stop To Watch The "Seinfeld" Finale In Times Square, 1998. Photo By Ken Murray
Seems as silly as the number of people going to watch the final of Neighbours in federation square this week. The show didn't have enough ratings to continue the show, but did have enough for public viewing?
Thousands Of Telephone Lines, Stockholm, 1890
Two Women Carrying Water, Egypt, 1880
Young Lovers In Paris, 1972
Paris, 1968
Heracles And Nessus By Giambologna, 1595
An Old Photo Showing A Party At The Summit Of The 4600-Year-Old Great Pyramid Of Giza, By Life Magazine, 1940s
Alfred Hitchcock And Wife Alma On Their Wedding Day In 1926
An Atlanta Boy’s High School Basketball Player Shooting A Free Throw, 1921
"Wild Horses", 1979. Photo By Joseph Szabo
Shame dave, I feel sad for you. Why don't u either delete the app, or move on to something more your taste? Last time I checked, it wasn't compulsory to read it?
Load More Replies...Shame dave, I feel sad for you. Why don't u either delete the app, or move on to something more your taste? Last time I checked, it wasn't compulsory to read it?
Load More Replies...