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50 Historical Pictures That Might Teach You Something New About Our World
Interview
Our Instagram feeds are often flooded with photos from the same day or the previous weekend. And while it’s great to have the capability to share information so rapidly, we know what the modern world looks like. We can walk through our front doors or gaze out from our balconies to get a taste of today’s times. But if you’re craving a blast from the past, we’ve got the perfect article for you.
Below, you'll find a list of some of our favorite posts from the Historic Pix Instagram account, as well as an interview we were lucky enough to receive from the creator of the account, Peter Cors. From photos of factory workers in the 1800s to an aerial view of Woodstock in 1969, Historic Pix shares a plethora of fascinating images that will give you some insight into our world’s past.
Be sure to upvote the photos you find most captivating, and let us know in the comments if you learned anything new from this list. Then if you’re interested in viewing even more pics that will shine a light on our world’s past, you can find a few more Bored Panda articles on the same topic right here, here and here!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
A Picture Of Dr. Religa Monitoring His Patient's Vitals After Completing A 23-Hour-Long Heart Transplant. His Assistant Is Asleep In The Corner. 1987
At the bottom is a picture of the same patient, 30 years later. He managed to outlive his doctor.
Dr. Religa was a pioneer of heart transplantation in Poland, and even though the surgery was considered borderline impossible at the time, he took the chance, and the operation was successful.
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#2
Mary Wallace: First Female Bus Driver For Chicago Transit Authority, 1974
#3
Nellie Brown, An African-American Cowgirl, C.1880's
#4
An Open Air School In 1957, Netherlands In The Beginning Of The 20th Century A Movement Towards Open Air Schools Took Place In Europe
Classes were taught in forests so that students would benefit physically and mentally from clean air and sunlight
Mary August 3 years ago
There are open air day cares in Finland. They spend their days outside even in the winter.
#5
Animals Being Used As Part Of Medical Therapy, 1956
#6
As Soviet Troops Approached Berlin In 1945, Zoo Keepers Did Their Best To Take Care Of Berlin Zoo's Animals. This Shoebill Was Temporarily Housed In His Keeper’s Home
Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
Something similar happened when devastating bushfires swept through NSW a couple of years ago! The keepers at the Mogo Zoo took all kinds of animals into their homes. Thanks to their heroic efforts (most other people in the area had evacuated), the animals were saved.
#7
Camouflaged Road In Finland During Ww2. The Trees Are Hung Up With Rope So Enemy Watch Towers Don't See The Road. June 27, 1941
#9
The Last Picture Of Now Extinct Tasmanian Tiger In 1933
#10
The Creation Of The Recycling Logo By G. Anderson, 23 At The Time. (1970)
#11
1956: For A Bet Whilst Drunk, Former Marine Thomas Fitzpatrick Stole A Small Plane From New Jersey And Then Landed It Perfectly On A Narrow Manhattan Street In Front Of The Bar He Had Been Drinking At
He had made a bet with a fellow drinker that he could leave the bar, go to New Jersey, and then get back in 15 minutes.
He did nearly the exact same thing two years later, after a bar patron refused to believe he had done the first one.
#12
Into The Jaws Of Death, 6th June 1944. Normandy Landings
Bubbles and sparks 3 years ago (edited)
Those were true heroes, the ones that gave their lives to free so many others. Without them, who knows what the outcome would have been... I thank them for their service.
#13
1922: 78-Year-Old Robert T. Lincoln (Son Of Abraham Lincoln) Is Helped Up The Steps At The Dedication Of The Lincoln Memorial In Washington D.c
Bobby 3 years ago
Now that's some perspective. My grandpa was born right around this time. My grandpa was alive at the same time as Abraham Lincoln's son. That makes his presidency seen so much more recent than just seeing a date in a text book. No wonder most other countries chuckle at the concept of American history(that's what they call it here, I've been trying to break away from that because it doesn't give other countries on this continent the recognition they deserve)
#14
Nikola Tesla’s Foot X-Ray Taken By Himself On A Machine He Designed (1896)
#15
First Morning After Sweden Changed From Driving On The Left Side To Driving On The Right, 1967
#16
Special Effects In The 1960s
#17
San Francisco's Iconic Cliff House, Shortly Before It Was Destroyed By Fire In 1907
#18
Cow Shoes Used By Moonshiners In The Prohibition Days To Disguise Their Footprints, 1924
#19
Hese Daguerreotype Portraits Show The Oldest Generation Of People To Ever Be Photographed, 1840-1850
Many of these people were born in the 1700s and some of them even lived through the American Revolutionary War
#20
French Box Bed. In Brittany, The Closed Bed, Or Box Bed, Was A Traditional Piece Of Furniture, Present In Other European Countries
In houses with only one room, the box bed allowed a certain intimacy and helped to keep warm during the winter
#21
Painters Atop The Woolworth Building In New York City, 1926
#22
Maori Man From Hawkes Bay District, Photographed In 1870 By Samuel Carnell
Ta moko is the name for the permanent body and face marking by Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand.
AffenpinscherMom 3 years ago
It is visually stunning but I can't even begin to imagine how much that must have hurt.
#23
Mount St. Helens Photographed From The Same Spot, One Day Before, And Four Months After Erupting
Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. The volcano, located in southwestern Washington, used to be a beautiful symmetrical cone about 9,600 feet (3,000 meters) above sea level. The eruption, which removed the upper 1,300 feet (396 meters) of the summit, left a horseshoe-shaped crater and a barren wasteland
#24
The FBI Finger Print Files, 1944
#25
Poor Children, East London, Circa 1890
#26
Noted Botanist Alice Eastwood Inspects The Clearly Visible Fault Fissure Left Behind Near Olema, California, After The 1906 Earthquake Rattled The San Andreas Fault
Disgruntled Pelican 3 years ago
This is super unsettling. Just knowing that the earth can crack like that in the blink of an eye...I greatly dislike it.
#27
The Winter Of 1880-1881 In Minnesota Was No Laughing Matter
#28
The Broughton Flume Was The Fastest And Longest Water Flume In The World From 1923-1986
It was located at the Hood river junction on the Columbia river at the Washington/Oregon border
#29
British Soldiers Of The Irish Guards Regiment Look On As One Of Their Number Faints In London, England (June, 1966)
Emma S 3 years ago (edited)
I'm sure people did help him. Just like they helped the guards who passed at out trooping the colour in 2016, the Queen's 90th birthday and the Queen's lying in state last month. Guards passing out is not a new thing as they're standing for long periods of time. The guards are highly trained soldiers and are even taught how to 'pass out to attention.' Meaning they are taught how best to fall, how to push their weapon away from them and not to hold onto anything or anyone next to them. They're aren't just ignored when it happens either. They're helped by medics who are on standby but in a way that ensures minimal fuss and so the rest of the guards carry on with their duties. It wouldn't really do to have a whole parade of guards stop what they're doing to attend to someone who has passed out. Watch the recent video the Queen's guard who passed out at the lying in state. Live footage was suspended while the the guard was attended to.
#30
Aerial View Of Over 400,000 People At The Woodstock, 1969
#31
A War Veteran Sells Matches On The Street, In Canterbury, Kent. England - Circa. 1930
Bubbles and sparks 3 years ago
Fighting for your country and surviving only to become a match seller to get food on the table... It's sad :'(
#32
The World's Last Commercial Ocean-Going Sailing Ship - The Pamir - Rounding Cape Horn, 1949
#33
Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test, 1946
Nat of Clan P 3 years ago
Humans are despicable. (Obviously not all humans but you know what I mean).
#34
The Dalai Lama At Age Two, 1937
Savannah Newman 3 years ago
Abbinc..thanks for the info! That is real interesting. How delusional to think one could control such a thing. Really hits home the intent behind the law in China. Hmm
#35
In The 1930's, Baby-Cages Were Used To Ensure Children Living In Apartment Buildings Got Enough Fresh Air And Sunlight
#36
A Samurai And His Retainers Wearing Mail Armor And Armed With Naginata, 1870
#37
A Coat Sale In Copenhagen, Denmark, 1936
#38
The Roof Of An Old Fiat Factory. Yes, That Is A Track. (Lingotto, Turin - Italy)
#39
Paparazzi Photographer Ron Galella Would Wear A Football Helmet Around Actor Marlon Brando, After Brando Once Sucker-Punched Him, Broke His Jaw, And Knocked Out Five Teeth In 1973
#40
Ann Hodges, The Only Human Being In Recorded History To Be Hit By A Meteorite. 1954
#41
The Muffin Man In 1910, London. He Would Ring A Bell As He Walked Through The Streets With His Wares On A Tray On His Head
#42
In 1936, 1800 Veterans Of The American Civil War Attended An 75th Anniversary Reunion At Gettysburg, Pa
The youngest was 88 years old, and the oldest claimed to be 112 years old. They all became good friends
#43
Federal Reserve Bank, New York, 1959
#44
Female Worker Bottling Ketchup At The Original Heinz Factory Circa 1897
#45
US Soldier With Pictures Of His Girlfriend Attached To His Helmet, Vietnam 1968
Falcon on Dizzy 3 years ago
unlike WW2, Vietnam had no true meaning. it's one of the many wars we never had to fight
#46
A Young Chinese Woman From One Of The Imperial Japanese Army's "Comfort Battalions" Is Interviewed By A British Royal Air Force Officer In Rangoon After Being Liberated In August 1945
#47
The Ss Princess May Was A Steamship Built In 1888
The ship is best known for grounding in 1910, which left the ship sticking completely out of the water. This is one of the most famous shipwreck photographs
#48
Salesman Having His Motorised Roller Skates Filled Up In 1961
He has a single horsepower air-cooled engine strapped to his back and holds a clutch, accelerator and engine cut-off switch in his hand. (Photo by F. Roy Kemp)
#49
An Old Photo Taken By Max Van Oppenheim Of An Ancient Roman Bridge That Spans The Wadi Al Murr Near Mosul, Iraq, In The 1920s
#50
Arctic Explorer Peter Freuchen Stands Next To His Third Wife, Dagmar Freuchen-Gale. 1947
Little Lion 3 years ago
His wife is like "Yeah....he really wanted to wear his coat for the family pictures and who am I to say no...I'll just dress normally"
#51
The Nemi Ships, Built Almost 2000 Years Ago By Emperor Caligula, Discovered In 1929 And Destroyed By Fire In 1944 During World War II
#52
In The Victorian Era, The Woman’s Hair Was Considered An Important Part Of Her Appearance And It Marked Her Status And Her Femininity
Women in that era were often expected to grow their hair to great lengths, and it was common knowledge that a woman’s crowning glory was her hair. Take a look at these photos of Victorian women who never cut their hair (1860-1900)
#53
Two Boys Sit Inside Willamette, An Iron Meteorite Weighing 14500 Kg
It is the largest meteorite to be discovered in North America and the sixth largest in the world. The meteorite is on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City
Adam Jeff 3 years ago
The 'Willamette' meteorite is called Tomonowos by the Clackamas native Americans, to whom it was sacred until (fans of north American history will not be surprised to learn) it was stolen from them to be put n a museum. The good news is that the museum and the tribe have now come to an amicable agreement.
#54
The Legendary Soviet Georgian Water Polo Player Petre Mshvenieradze With His Grandson, 1990
#55
Coal Miner's Wife And Three Of Their Children. Company House In Pursglove, Scotts Run, West Virginia, September 1938
#56
A Man Recording A Cassette Tape At A Music Festival In Poland, 1980s. (Taken By Krzysztof Wójcik)
#57
Princeton Students After A Freshman vs. Sophomores Snowball Fight, 1893
#58
Planes Fly Between The Towers And Pedestrians Cross As Part Of The Celebration Of The Opening Of The Golden Gate Bridge In May Of 1937
Finn Carl Bomholt Sørensen 3 years ago
Even by that time they had several lanes in each direction.
#59
This Shockingly High-Res And Colorized Photo Was Taken Over 100 Years Ago, And Shows A Crew Of Men Unloading A Banana Boat In New York
#60
Fixing The Antenna On The World Trade Center, New York City, 1979. Photo By Peter B. Kaplan
#61
Residents Of Hanoi Wait In Chest-Deep Sidewalk Shelters For The All Clear Signal, During An Air Raid Alert. Hanoi, North Vietnam, 1967
#62
Two Young Ladies Inline Skating With A Sail In Berlin, 1923
Joshua David 3 years ago (edited)
Trust me, its perfectly SAFE. And yes, what we have on is FINE.
#63
J.k. Rowling Writing Harry Potter At A Café In Scotland (1998)
#64
Girls Making Petrol Bombs During The Battle Of The Bogside, Ireland, 1969
#65
Street In Hong Kong - 1950s. Photo By Fan Ho
#66
Coal Miner's Child Using A Hole In The Door To Enter A Bedroom With A Smoking Pipe In One Hand And A Gun In The Other In Bertha Hill, West Virginia. Photo By Marion Post Wolcott. 1938
#67
Inside Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower), London, 1920s
#68
Jack Milford, Player With The Wembley Monarchs Ice Hockey Team, Invented A Carrying Device So That His Baby Can Join His Wife And Himself On The Ice, 1937. (Photo By L. C. Buckley)
#69
Fisherman Edward Llewellen With The World's Record Black Sea Bass (425 Lbs / 192kg)
which he caught at Catalina Island, California, 1903. (Caption by Library of Congress. Since then, even bigger specimen have been caught)
#70
Winston Churchill Is Carried From A Nursing Home Following Being Struck By A Car In New York City, 1931
He was crossing Fifth Avenue and forgot that cars drove on the opposite side of the road from England, and failed to look to his left.
#71
Miners In The Serra Pelada Gold Mines In Brazil, 1980s. (Salgado)
#72
Illegal Alcohol Being Poured Out During Prohibition, Detroit, 1929
#73
"Human Fly" John "Jammie" Reynolds Balancing On A New York Rooftop, 1910s
#74
This Picture Of New York In 1933 Looks Like It's From The 2070s. The Giant Hole In The Ground Directly Across 5th Avenue Is The Construction Site Of The Future Rockefeller Center
Wintermute 3 years ago (edited)
Powered by the coal mined by the kids from the other photo. And keep in mind, wage disparity was less then than it is now. We just hide it better.
#75
Madonna For Versace (1995)
#76
"Horse With A Gas Mask, United Kingdom, March 27th, 1940"
#77
British Brigadier General J V Campbell Addressing Troops Of The 137th Brigade (46th Division) From The Riqueval Bridge Over The St Quentin Canal, France, October 2, 1918
#78
Window Cleaners In New York City, Circa 1958
#79
Two Men From The 363rd Field Artillery Battalion Near Okinawa. June 10, 1945
Phobrek Taz 3 years ago
"See, Tim? And you said lugging this barber chair all the way from Queens was a bad idea!"
#80
The World's Longest Manned Flight Was 64 Days, 22 Hours And 19 Minutes In This Cessna 172
During this period it was refueled over 128 times by the pictured truck. The pilots: Robert Timm and John Cook from La Vegas. (1958)
#81
Lieutenant Commander Donald D. Sheppard, Of Coronado, California, Aims A Flaming Arrow At A Bamboo Hut Concealing A Fortified Viet Cong Bunker On The Banks Of The Bassac River, Vietnam, On December 8, 1967
#82
Soviet Soldiers During The Siege On Stalingrad (1942-1943)
#83
In 1986, The Charity Organization United Way Of Cleveland Released 1.5 Million Balloons
Saint Thomas 3 years ago
It horribly backfired, causing a lot of problems : blocked sewage, panicked animals... and indirectly causing two deaths : ""(...) the balloons inadvertently impeded a search and rescue of two vanished fishermen. Although their 16-foot boat was located (...) the Coast Guard search and rescue crews were not able to find them. Since there were so many balloons scattered around, rescuers couldn’t distinguish between a balloon or a person."
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What do you think ?
Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
Me too! It's interesting and also really nice and helpful of them. :)
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Jordan 3 years ago
Stay on here long enough and you'll see the same f****n pictures over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over
Load More Replies... Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
Me too! It's interesting and also really nice and helpful of them. :)
Load More Replies... Jordan 3 years ago
Stay on here long enough and you'll see the same f****n pictures over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over
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