The only way that history can live on is through storytelling and photographs. The photographs in this gallery are extremely telling about how the world worked from the American Civil War as recently as The Korean War.
First Photo of Outer Space
It doesn’t look like much, but this is the first ever photo of the Earth. It was taken from a United States V-2 rocket on a sub-orbital flight on October 24th, 1946.
German Submarine Control Room
This bizarre array of wheels and pipes is actually what the inside of a German submarine looked like. This is a photo of the control room of a UB-110 in 1918.
Hydrogen Bomb
This is an actual photo of a hydrogen bomb detonated by the United States at the Bikini Atoll. There were 23 other nuclear devices tested by the U.S. between 1946 and 1958.
Weightlessness
In 1958, scientists were still testing the specifics of weightlessness in space. They decided to use a kitten to test out the theory before moving forward to test with humans.
First Atomic Bomb
This is the first atomic bomb ever created, nicknamed The Gadget. The nuclear test itself was code-named Trinity.
Kobe, Japan
This eerie photo is of Kobe, Japan in World War II. The bombing was part of a strategic bombing campaign by the U.S. against Japan. It started on March 16 and ended March 17, 1945.
Machu Picchu
In 1911, Yale professor and explorer Hiram Bingham was exploring the jungles of Peru when he ended up finding Machu Picchu. This is the first ever photo.
Giant Grasshopper?
Don’t worry, it’s fake! This is a joke postcard that was a huge craze back in the 1930s. They were slowly figuring put photoshop.
Nagasaki
A plutonium bomb was detonated over Nagasaki on August 9th, 1945. It killed between 39,000 and 80,000 people. Many died instantly, but some took longer with horrific radiation effects.
Prohibition Laws
That’s not water. That is alcohol. By law, police had to dispose of the alcohol wherever they found it. In this case, they found kegs in the upstairs.
London Bombing Procedures
In the 1940s, citizens were horrified of what the Axis powers could do. They were afraid of gas attacks at any moment. It never happened, but British civilians always made sure that they were prepared by wearing a gas mask throughout most of the war.
Reichserntedankfest Rally
The Reichserntedankfest rally, or the Thanksgiving Celebration of the Reich, took place in 1934 in Bückeburg, Germany.
Abolishing Slavery
The photo above depicts of British merchant removing the restraints from a slave in 1907. British traders transported around 3.4 million Africans to North America to be used as slaves for 245 years. This photo was taken when they abolished slavery in the early 20th century.
Target Practice
Horses were used as the main means of transportation during WWI and WWII. Above, German soldiers are practicing their ships and training their horses to stay calm during the loud noises back in 1935.
Tons of Kegs
Authorities set up these barrels of alcohol and were planning on setting them on fire back in 1924. This was during the height of prohibition.
Televised Assassination
On October 12th, 1960, politician Inejiro Asanuma was attacked and killed by Otoya Yamaguchi by a sword. He was murdered during a televised debate. 17-year-old Yamaguchi committed suicide weeks after the assassination.
Too Close For Comfort
The mother and son in the photo are watching a nuclear test explosion from their home. This was back when it wasn’t known how dangerous the radiation from such tests was.
Letter to Hitler from Someone Shockimg
Gandhi sent a heartfelt letter to Hitler in July of 1939. Seems that he was the only one to try and reason with the guy. Obviously, it didn’t work.
The Meeting
During the liberation of Buchenwald, a concentration camp, a Russian prisoner quickly pointed out a Nazi guard who was particularly cruel towards him and other prisoners.
Jokes on Jokes
Even at war, people have to try and keep their spirits high and keep themselves entertained! The Navy had a good time with this little tradition. Whenever a plane would land on the wrong carrier, they would cover it in graffiti before it could be returned. Here, the Air Force landed a plane on the Navy ship.
Duck Hunting Back in the Day
This is called a punt gun. It was an actual gun that people would use to hunt ducks. It was mainly designed to kill as many as fifty birds with one shot. It was later outlawed as it made it too easy to wipe out an entire population of ducks!
Selling Babies
This is another ‘funny’ postcard from 1940s France. It’s a little eerie as people did tend to sell babies back in the day…
The Original Idea For Mount Rushmore
This was the original idea for Mount Rushmore… Including their bodies must have been a larger challenge than they expected!Â
The Last Public Execution
Rainey Bethea was hanged publically on August 14, 1936. This would be the last public execution in the U.S.
Tommy Lee Jones in High School
This is actor Tommy Lee Jones in high school. He’s now best known for his roles in films like The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men, and Lincoln.
Different Lives
This photo shows two upper-class British boys standing with their fancy luggage. Behind them are three boys who ditched school for the day. This was published in a newspaper with the caption, “Everyone has a story.”
Young Steve Carell
It’s actually Steve Carrell as a teenager but dressed as an old man. Not too far off from where he looks like now… (Joking!)
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman simply being everyone’s jam.
Freikorps Soldiers
Many believe that this is a staged photo used for Communist propaganda. It’s showing a German Communist standing as he’s being executed by a firing squad in 1919.
Cassius Clay
This is a stunning photo of Muhammad Ali at the Sir John Motel, Miami in 1961.
A Master of Disguise
Makeup artist Eddie Zens lent his skill to showcase what Hitler would look like in multiple disguises.
Steve Buscemi
Steve Buscemi was actually a firefighter in New York before he went to Hollywood. He started when he was 18 and worked there for four years. During the events of 9/11, he returned to his station to help.
Not So Subtle
This was a staged photo by Life Magazine to showcase the new type of suburban living. They paid all of the trucks to help the folks move in as long as they could follow photo direction.
Mike Tyson and a Young Robert Downey, Jr.
Mike Tyson before his face tattoo! Who would have guessed that they were pals?
A Young Sarah Silverman
A young Sarah Silverman waits to go on stage back in the 80s.
Ham The Astrochimp
Ham was the first chimp to successfully fly in space. He flew from Cape Canaveral on January 31st, 1961 and returned to Earth soon after with nothing more than a bruised nose.
The Cathedral of Amiens
Many battles were fought for the small city of Amiens, located at around 75 miles north of Paris, during the first two world wars. The cathedral above is considered the largest 13-century Gothic cathedral in France. Amiens was also the home of Jules Verne.
Struck by a Meteorite
This woman might be the only person in the world to have been struck by a meteorite and survived. The 8.5-pound space rock crashed through her home, hit her radio, and then ricocheted into her side.
The Ku Klux Karnival
These are KKK members casually riding on a Ferris wheel at a carnival back in 1925.
It’s Just a Test
This was one of the ways they went to test football helmets back in 1912. Guess that works!
A Literal Dry Run
Before kids could swim, they had to practice outside of the water. This photo was taken in 1923 of their dry run (literally).
One Man Down
A poor soldier fainted from probably heat exhaustion during a 1970 birthday procession for Queen Elizabeth. Awkward.
The Old Stockholm Telephone Tower
Those are telephone wires. It connected over 5,000 telephone wires to households and businesses in 1887. Obviously, this was a bit of an eyesore for the citizens. Telephone companies decided to bury the wires instead, which made the residents happy. The city ended up burning down from unrelated causes in 1953.
On Opposing Sides
This may just look like a protest photo, but the story behind it goes much deeper. Apparently, these are two childhood friends who found themselves in this situation back in 1972.
Union Prisoners
The photo above depicts Union prisoners getting their food at Fort Sumter in 1864 during the Civil War.
Prisoners of War
These prisoners of war in a German concentration camp are watching an undisclosed video.
The Gustav Railway Gun
This was a massive railway artillery cannon developed a massive railway artillery cannon to break through lines of defense in World War II. The weapon was rarely used.
War Dog
A small pup sits on top of a canon while being supervised by soldiers during WWI. He was probably the General or something.
Ice Ladies
These two gals are hauling some ice around back in 1918! Apparently, that was an in-demand job back then.
Spoils of War
This little girl’s home was bombed in 1940. She was sitting out front of it clutching her baby doll all by herself.
A Haunted Photo
Whether this is photoshopped or not, the idea of some eerie figure in this background looming over this couple is… too much.
An Encounter With The Unknown
Another eerie apparition with no explanation…
Why Not???
These gas masks are being used for more… domestic purposes. They were probably just being funny.
Biggest Fish Ever?
This is the biggest seabass on record caught by Edward Llewellen. The fish was about 425 pounds. Edward snagged that thing all on his own!
Where The Wives At
Apparently, these guys are really trying to get some wives. I wonder if they found any…
A Haunting Smile
It’s so haunting to see this soldier smiling in the midst of all of the chaos and death.
Ventriloquist Dummies
This absolutely the worst, most cursed thing on this gallery. Why would anyone make this?
How To Kill a Vampire
That is an actual mummified heart of August Delagrange. He was believed to be a vampire. The sake to the left of it is the one that killed it. He was thought to have killed 40 people and was executed for his crimes in 1912.
 A Nun’s Head
This is a real shriveled head of a nun who was thought to be possessed. It’s unclear as to why they would do this after she died…
Cannibalism
These skulls and bones were proven to have been prepped for eating. The flesh had been stripped off intentionally. Even though they date back to 7,000 years ago, it’s very obvious that this was the work of a cannibal.
Abandoned Mental Asylum
Thes mental asylums really end up falling apart over the years… Makes for one creepy picture.
Unknown Twin
Could be a trick of the eye or some easy photoshop… But, it could be an evil twin!!!
Spontaneous Human Combustion
This is probably the most bizarre phenomenon ever. Spontaneous human combustion is when living or recently deceased people suddenly explodes into a fire with no source of ignition. The photo above is one of the most famous cases.
The Beast of Buchenwald
This is Ilse Koch. She was married to a concentration camp officer and stayed at the Buchenwald concentration camp. She committed horrific crimes, even taking the skin of dead prisoners who had interesting tattoos as souvenirs. She ended up committing suicide in 1960.
Uninvited Dancer
The little girl in the background has no legs… Phantom dancer?
Ghostly Silhouettes
Eerie edit or freaky capture? You can be the judge…
One Last Photo
Back in the day, it was extremely common to pose for a photo op with a deceased loved one. It seems that this woman was the victim of a fire, and her family loved her enough to take some photos to preserve her memory.
Loana
This seems like a photo of a woman sleeping, but it goes a little deeper than that. This is Loana. She drank her own blood and ended up dying from that in 1909.
When You See It
Someone decided to take a close-up pic of a piece of popcorn and found something very… Eerie.
Simone Segouin
This 18-year-old didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Simone Segouin fought for the French Resistance during WWII. She helped liberate Paris in 1944.
The Last Civil War Veteran
This is a photo of Bill Lunch in 1955. At the time of this photo, he was the last living Confederate veteran of the American Civil War. He served with the 4th Alabama Infantry.
Hitler’s Last Photo
This is the last known photo of Hitler, taken on April 30, 1945. Later this day, he committed suicide.
Sharing Rations
A German soldier is spotted sharing his rations with a Russian mother. This was taken in 1941 by a photographer who was traveling with the 291st Division of Wehrmacht George Gundlach.
Lucy The Orphan
Many children were left orphans in WWII. It was common for Russian military officers to end up adopting the orphans after the war was over. Above is two-year-old Lucy. She was adopted by Russian sailors after her parents died during the siege of Leningrad.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Being… HImself
Arnold Schwarzenegger began weight training when he was 15. By the age of 20, he’d go on to win the Mr. Universe title. He then won the Mr. Olympia contest seven more times and eventually became a model, action star and today, a politician. This photo was taken in the early 70s.
Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp
These poor victims of the Holocaust were being transported by trucks to be buried.
Look, But Don’t Touch
This Italian woman was seen inspecting the kilts of Scottish soldiers. This was after the liberation of Rome from the Axis powers in 1944.
War Stories
Bernard Herzog was a prisoner of war in the Philippines for many years in WWII. After he was released, he returned home where he began working for a taxi company.
JFK’s Funeral
Young John F. Kennedy Jr. is saluting his father’s coffin during the funeral procession. JFK was assassinated on November 22nd, 1963.
Making the Best Of It
This was a common practice during WWII when folks were made to stay in underground shelters. They would decorate the walls and sing songs to brighten the mood.
Bizarre Scarecrow
Finnish soldiers would take dead, frozen Soviet Soldiers and pose them like a scarecrow. This would an intimidation tactic for any Soviet soldiers who might try and face them.
Armenian Genocide
A sick Turkish official is teasing starving Armenian children with bread during the genocide. The Ottoman government’s systematic extermination of American minorities is a hideous look into the past.
Mocking Hitler in Celebration
Soldiers are mocking the Third Reich leader after his death. Many citizens and opposing soldiers celebrated in the streets for days.
Human Remains
In 1994, Soviet soldiers are seen standing over a mound of human ashes found at a concentration camp called Majdanek. This camp is one of the most well-preserved Nazi concentration camps from the Holocaust.
The Hibakusha
This is one of the six survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima. It killed nearly 80,000 people on impact.
Everyone Gets A Mask
This mule was given a gas mask to protect it from inhaling phosgene, which was a chemical used in weapons during WWI.
Checkpoint Charlie
Tanks are facing off at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. This spot was a Berlin Wall crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War.
Japan Surrenders
The Empire of Japan finally surrendered, marking the end of WWII. The signing took place on the deck of USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.
Disney Studios Opens
This is a photo of the Disney brothers with their wives and mother. This was the day they opened their studio in 1923.Â
The Nine Kings
The photo above shows one of the rare occasions that the nine kings were together in one place taken at Windsor Castle during the Funeral of King Edward VII, Standing from left to right: King Haakon VII of Norway, King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, King Manuel of Portugal, Emperor William II of Germany, King George I of the Hellenes, King Albert of the Belgians.
Lt. Custer and Union Troops (Colorized)
A group of Civil War soldiers along with General George Armstrong Custer. He was killed, along with all of his men, at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, which is also now known as Custer’s Last Stand, in 1876 while fighting against a coalition of Native American tribes.
Kid Fun
These kids are watching a puppet show on the streets of Paris in 1963. Must have been pretty good!
A Powder Monkey Aboard The USS New Hampshire
Powder monkeys are young boys who were in charge of moving sacks of gunpowders, especially during the Age of Sail. They get their name from gunpowder and because they were known to just run and jump over and around the cannons just as monkeys would.
The Korean War
The Korean War lasted from 1950 to 1953, with a death toll of more than 1 million soldiers from the battlefield alone.
Hungarian Revolution of 1956
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was a populist uprising against Soviet control. The revolution would later be crushed, with the Soviet power being reinstated in a rather brutal manner. Khrushchev’s refusal to negotiate with the rebels and use of force would also be the cause of controversy and was considered by formerly sympathetic observers as a miscarriage of authority.