50 Of The Most Interesting Historical Photos From The “History In Pictures” Facebook Page
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
This is beyond disturbing and so terribly sad. So many innocent lives ripped away. This is why it is so extremely important to teach the Holocaust so we never forget.
Glasses were taken, hair were shaved too, and gold teeth were extracted after the killing.
Actually many gold teeth were removed while alive not After death.
Load More Replies..."Get it all on record now-get the films-get the witnesses-because somewhere down the track of history some bastard will get up and say that this never happened". Dwight D. Eisenhower
This is horrifying! It’s sad to think that Putin is trying to start to do the same thing😭 also, random thought, but has anyone noticed that Adolf Hitlers initials (AH) basically spell the shortened form of “a$$h0le?”
A number of years ago, I was in Poland. I;ve been to two concentrationcamps and we had the fortunate luck we had a guide that not only told the stories correctly, but with empathy... It is beyond belief what happened there, the atmosphere was still so eerie... The only downside to that day was the enormous lack of respect by some groups of tourists, standing in front of many of the displays that showed for example the weddingbands, teeth, suitcases, cut hair.... they stood there with their selfiestick and smiled.... the were not european so I guess they did not fully comprehend the history they were waling through, but nevertheless, they most have known it couldn't have been a place where people survived. Till this day I can still feel the feeling of dispair and tragic loss. Maybe one day I'll make a post on BoredPanda with the pictures...
I think a lot of people need to see that post; I hope you get around to doing it.
Load More Replies...I have been there in the 1970's and I think it should be a mandatory thing for the whole world to see but, then again, free will. You can't "force" people to visit. And then there are those who claim that it never happened. I ran into those folks far too many times and often they've never even been out of their own State but certainly have an opinion about other people and countries.
And more disturbingly, there are people who visit the camps (or what's left of them) and take selfies... And essentially deny the whole thing. It's disgusting. I'm posting this comment because I want to know if the people dumb enough to do this can get punished for their actions. I'm not trying to be crass, I'm just curious.
Even more disturbing is the rise to power of strongmen around the world today. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega, Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro, Egypt's Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia as well as the rise of White Christian Nationalism in the US which was brought to the forefront by ex-President Donald J. Trump should concern all decent people everywhere. Yes, the photo is historical but don't believe it could never happen again.
Load More Replies...I'm from Germany and this part of our history burns in my heart. Even though there are three generations between me and this terrible war, I still feel like I carry that burden. We committed this crime. We Germans. It weighs heavily on all born after. We must never forget that. That must never be repeated.
One of the assclowns in the capitol building on Jan 6 was wearing a 6MWE shirt and when I told my teenage daughter what that meant and how horrific it is to see that in the capitol building she started crying, truly heartbroken. Her best friend is Jewish. Still a teenager and this world has already broken her heart.
Load More Replies...Heartbreaking... and I can't believe some people wants us to believe it never happened.
… each of those is a love story cut horribly short. The sheer number is mind boggling. That’s so many lives. So many lovers.
There’s a video on YouTube somewhere that counts how many people died in WWll. I watched it for history class awhile ago and damn.
This makes my stomach turn 😞 those poor souls. I'm German and way too young to have experienced this all (1988), but still I feel guilty. Not in particular for being german, but for being a human. I've grown up with the knowledge of what happened in my country not even a century ago and it saddens me to see how, much cruelty and hatred towards miniroties or people in weaker positions still is going on all over the world. I believe everything we can do to make this world a better place is keeping our inner child alive. Being curious, open minded and trying to focus on the sunny sides of life. Maybe then it would be easier to treat other human beings als the equal lifeforms that they are, no matter how different our backgrounds or current selves are. Have a nice day fellow Pandas and spread your smiles
This may get downvoated, but here it goes... All the German people, generations after the generation that worked along the massacre of milions (not only jews by the way) should stop feeling guilty. They did nothing wrong, you cannot carry the guilt, bkame and shame for what happened back then. What you can do however, is never forget this part of history, and try to do better then the generations before you. Not only give a helping hand to the true refugees that need help, but also care for your elderly neighbour, the homeless person on the street, keep in contact with your friends. When you see someone who looks troubled, ask "How can I help?" Nobody wants only solutions to their problems, sometimes it's enough that you listen, share your time, get to know a person a little better...
All of humanity should share the guilt of what happened then. Those were human beings murdered by human beings yet many today want to discount it all and forget it. It can happen again at any time because that is exactly what humans are capable of. Anything that smacks of forget about it encourages us to relive it in actuality. We have very short memories these days and a lack of interest in history. When we forget this we may be doomed to repeat it until the lesson can learned collectively. Right now it does not appear that we have learned this horrible lesson at all.
Load More Replies...As a descendent of Eastern European Jews...No comment, at least none that would fit in this box.
Each one represents a life, hopes, dreams and love. Sickening to see what mankind can do to each other when at our worst.
The evilness this bin of rings shows along with the love. How can anyone ever deny this happened.
Omg what a visual. Really puts the level of awful deaths into perspective.
I have no words. The pain and suffering one man can inflict on another man beggars belief.
If I upvote this, it doesn't mean I support the content of the picture.
Not true at all. Quit getting your facts from Facebook memes.
Load More Replies...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
Note: this post originally had 131 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
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...