The best way for history to live on is through pictures. The photographs featured here tell incredible stories about how the world worked long before we had any other way of knowing.
Prohibition Waterfall
That’s not water… it’s alcohol. During the Prohibition Era, police were required by law to dispose of all alcohol. In this case, a number of kegs were found upstairs.
London Bombing Precautions
Schoolchildren during the WW2 era were taught emergency plans where they had to put on gas masks and get to a safe space.
Hydrogen Bomb
Have you ever seen a mushroom cloud in real life? Hopefully not. This photo captured the aftermath of a hydrogen bomb detonated at the Bikini Atoll. Between 1946 and 1958, 23 other nuclear devices were tested by the United States.
In the 1940s, people didn’t know what the Axis powers had planned. They believed that gas attacks could occur at any moment. Although it never came to fruition, British civilians made to sure stay prepared by donning gas masks throughout the period.
Mutant Grasshopper
Thankfully, this gargantuan grasshopper isn’t threatening us anytime soon. The above picture served as a popular joke postcard in the 1930s. The early days of photoshop!
Kobe, Japan
This disturbing photo depicts the bombing of Kobe, Japan during WWII. The attack was part of a U.S. campaign against Japan. The bombing began on March 16, 1945, and ended the following day.
Flying Kitten
In 1958, before humans ventured into space, scientists used kittens to test the theory of weightlessness in zero gravity.
First-Ever Photo of Space
Although it might not look like much, this is the first photo in history to capture the Earth’s surface. It was snapped on October 24, 1946, from a U.S. V-2 rocket on a suborbital flight.
First Atomic Bomb
This is a photograph of the first atomic bomb in history. Its inventors nicknamed it The Gadget, but the nuclear test itself was code-named Trinity.
Freed Slaves
A British merchant removes restraints from a slave’s ankle in 1907. Over 3.4 million Africans were brought to North America by British slave traders over the course of 245 years. Slavery was abolished in the early 20th century, which is when this photo was taken.
Machu Picchu
When Yal professor and explorer Hiram Bingham went exploring the jungles of Peru, he ended up accidentally stumbling across Machu Picchu. This is the first-ever photo, taken in 1911.
Faster Than a Speeding Bullet
The primary mode of transportation during WWI and WWII was horses. Here, German soldiers are practicing their shots in 1935, training their horses not to be startled by loud noises.
German Submarine Control Room
This strange labyrinth of wheels of pipes is actually the interior of a control room aboard a German UB-110 submarine. The photo was taken in 1918.
Murder on Live TV
Politician Inejiro Asanuma was stabbed with a sword during a televised debate on October 12, 1960. The assassin, 17-year-old Otoya Yamaguchi, committed suicide weeks afterward.
Pranksters
Even if they were at war, soldiers still liked to have fun. Whenever a plane would land on the incorrect carrier, they would blast it with graffiti prior to its return. Pictured above is an Air Force plane that made the unfortunate mistake of docking on a Navy ship.
Reichserntedankfest Rally
The 1934 Reichserntedankfest rally, otherwise known as the Thanksgiving Celebration of the Reich, occurred in Buckeburg, Germany.
Nagasaki
This plutonium bomb resulted in mass tragedy for Japan. The bomb was detonated over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Between 39,000 and 80,000 people died instantly, but many succumbed to the horrific effects of radiation poisoning over the years.
Pyramid of Kegs
This photo was taken during the height of prohibition, literally! In 1924, authorities set up these barrels of alcohol and were planning to set them on fire. Eat your college frat party heart out.
Close to Home
A mother and son watch a nuclear test explosion from their home. At the time, the dangers of radiation were still unknown.
Liberation at Last
During the liberation of Buchenwald, a Russian prisoner of the concentration camp pointed out a Nazi guard who exhibited particular cruelty and sadism toward himself and others.
Letter to Hitler from a Surprising Sender
In July of 1939, Gandhi sent a letter to Hitler. Clearly, his appeal didn’t work.
Meteorite Strike
This woman may be the only person to survive being struck by a fallen meteorite. The 8.5-pound space rock crashed through her roof, hit the radio, and bounced off, nailing her right in the side.
Muhammad Ali
Cassius Clay poses underwater in his boxing uniform at the Sir John Hotel. Miami, 1961.
Tommy Lee Jones’ High School Photo
Tommy Lee Jones wasn’t always a movie star. He used to be a footballer back in high school! Now, the actor is known for his roles in films like The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men, and Lincoln.
Space Chimp!
Ham the Astrochimp was the first chimp to fly in space. He launched from Cape Canaveral on January 31, 1961, returning to Earth sooner after with only a bruised nose.
The Original Mt. Rushmore
Mount Rushmore was actually supposed to include busts of the founding fathers rather than just their faces. The sculptors must have bitten off more than they could chew!
Klu Klux Karnival
KKK members casually riding a Ferris wheel circa 1925.
Babies for Sale
Again, this one is thankfully a joke. This postcard dates back to 1940s France. However, it is a little messed up, seeing as selling babies wasn’t an entirely uncommon practice back in the day…
Undercover Hitler
Makeup artist Eddie Zens used his prowess to illustrate what Hitler would look like in disguise.
Young Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman back in the day, holding a sign that says, “I’m Just A Clown Who’s Feelin’ Down”.
The Final Public Execution
The last-ever public execution in the United States took place on August 14, 1936. Rainey Bethea was hanged in the town square.
Everyone Has a Story
This photo depicts class inequalities between two groups of boys. A pair of well-to-do British kids are guarding their fancy luggage while a gathering of younger boys who played hooky for the day linger beside them. The photo was published in the newspaper with the caption, “Everyone has a story.”
That’s One Way to Do It
This was one method of testing the structure of football helmets back in 1912. Hopefully, it worked…
Duck Gun
This bizarre-looking weapon is called a punt gun. It was designed for duck-hunting, with the ability to kill as many as 50 birds in a single shot. The punt gun was eventually outlawed because too many ducks were being killed.
Ancient Cannibals
These remains were prepped for eating. Even though the bones date back to 7,000 years ago, forensic scientists revealed that the flesh was stripped off intentionally.
Steve Carrell as a Teen
Steven Carrell might be dressed as an old man, but in this photo, he was actually a teenager. His character on the U.S. version of The Office would have you believe he might have never grown up!
Mike Tyson and Robert Downey Jr.
A rare photo of Mike Tyson prior to his face tattoo! Who knew these guys were buddies?
Freikorps Soldiers
This photo is believed by many to be staged. Regardless, it depicts a German communist standing with his arms crossed as he’s about to be executed by a firing squad. The year was 1919.
Steve Buscemi
Before he became a big name in Tinseltown, Steve Buscemi served as a firefighter from the ages of 18 to 22. During 9/11, Buscemi actually returned to his old post to help with the aftermath of the terrorist attack.
The Last Photo of Hitler
This photo, taken on April 30, 1945, was the last known photograph of Adolf Hitler. Later that day, he went on to commit suicide.
Telephone Tower
The old Stockholm telephone tower connected over 5,000 telephone wires to households and businesses in 1887. The structure was a bit of an eyesore for the city’s residents, and eventually, telephone companies decided to start burying the wires underground. The tower burnt down in 1953 from unrelated causes.
Mysterious Encounter
This creepy apparition would scare the living bejesus out of whoever is walking along that bridge at night…
Cathedral of Amiens
The above cathedral is known as the largest 13-century Gothic cathedral in all of France. It is located in the small city of Amiens, 75 miles north of Paris, where many battles were fought. Amiens was also home to Jules Verne.
Original Buffy the Vampire Slayer
This is the real mummified heart of August Delagrange, who was executed because he was believed to be a vampire. Delagrange was thought to have murdered 40 people. The stake featured in the above photo was driven through his heart in 1912.
Sharing Meager Food
A German soldier is seen sharing his rations with a Russian mother and her baby. This was shot in 1941 by a photographer who was traveling with the 291st Divison of Wehrmacht George Gundlach.
Bringing Out the Big Guns
The Gustav Railway Gun was a huge railway artillery cannon developed to help break through the lines of defense during WWII. The weapon was rarely put to use.
Getting Creative
These guys repurposed their gas masks for a much more… domestic activity.
Suburban Living 2.0
This photo was staged by Life Magazine to paint a picture of modern suburban living. The trucks were paid to help the people move in as long as everyone could follow directions from the photographer.
Fish out of Water
Before children were allowed to swim, they had to practice their strokes outside the water. This photo from 1923 captured their dry run… literally.
Vive La Resistance
18-year-old Simone Segouin fought for the French Resistance during WWII despite objections because she was a woman. Segouin was responsible for helping to liberate Paris in 1944.
Two Sides of the Coin
Although this 1972 photo makes it look like this is just a protester begging for peace, these two men were childhood friends who found themselves in a terrible situation.
Cursed Dummy
These ventriloquist dummies are the most terrifying things that have ever existed.
Man Down
This poor soldier fainted from heat exhaustion during a birthday procession for Queen Elizabeth in 1970. Yikes.
Orphan No More
During WWII, many children were left as orphans. It became common for Russian military officers to end up taking in orphans after the war had ended. Pictured above is a two-year-old baby girl named Lucy. She was adopted by Russian sailors after her parents were killed during the siege of Leningrad.
Abandoned Asylum
After these mental institutions were abandoned, the interior began to crumble. What kind of terrible secrets are buried beneath the debris?
Checkpoint Charlie
Charlie Checkpoint was a Berlin Wall crossing point between the East and the West during the Cold War. Here, tanks can be seen facing off.
Ice, Ice, Lady
A popular job back the day was transporting huge blocks of ice from one place to another. These gals are posing in the year 1918.
The Last Civil War Veteran
Bill Lunch, at the time of this photo in 1955, was the last living Confederate veteran of the American Civil War. Lunch served with the 4th Alabama Infantry.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Big Guns
Arnold Schwarzenegger began weight training at the age of 15 and went on to win the Mr. Universe title by 20 years old. Schwarzenegger then won the Mr. Olympia contest seven times over and eventually became a model, actor, and then a politician. This photo was snapped in the 1970s…
Hungarian Revolution of 1956
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was a populist uprising against the Soviet forces. The revolution was overpowered and Soviet forces were reinstated in an even more brutal manner. Khrushchev’s refusal to negotiate with the rebels and use violence instead was the cause of controversy, considered a gross miscarriage of authority by previously sympathetic observers.
Japan Surrenders to End the War
The Empire of Japan surrendered in order to put an end to WWII. The signing took place on the desk of the USSA Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.
Nuns on the Brain
This is the real, shriveled head of a nun who was believed to be possessed. No one quite knows why they kept her head in a box after her death.
Funeral of JFK
Young John F. Kennedy Jr. can be saluting his father’s coffin during the funeral procession after JFK was assassinated on November 22, 1963.
Masks For All
Back in WWII, everyone got a mask, even donkeys. This mule was given a gas mask to prevent it from inhaling a chemical called phosgene, which was used in weapons during the war.
Grand Opening of Disney Studios
The Disney brothers can be seen here with their wives and mother. This marks the opening day of their studios in 1923.
Mocking Hitler
Soldiers mock the Third Reich leader after his death. Many citizens and soldiers who opposed his reign celebrated in the streets for days afterward.
Teenage Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman waits to hit the stage in the early ’80s.
Trying to Keep Spirits High
When people were forced to stay underground in WWII shelters during the war, they would decorate the walls and sing songs to try and lighten the mood.
PoW
Prisoners of war sit in a German concentration camp, viewing an undisclosed video.
The Nine Kings
This photo depicts one of the rare occasions that the 9 kings were all in the same room. Here, they can be seen at Windsor Castle during the Funeral of King Edward VII. 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.
Not A Scarecrow
It was a common practice for Finnish soldiers to take dead, frozen Soviet soldiers and pose them like scarecrows as an intimidation tactic to ward off Soviet invasion.
Human Ashes
Soviet soldiers stand over a heap of human remains found at Majdanek concentration camp. The Majdanek camp is known for being one of the best-preserved Nazi camps from the Holocaust.
The Beast of Buchenwald
Ilse Koch was known as the Beast of Buchenwald, the sadistic wife of a Buchenwald camp officer who committed heinous and grotesque crimes, such as taking the skin of dead prisoners with interesting tattoos and keeping them as souvenirs. She committed suicide in 1960.
Open Call
Well, that’s one way to go about it… did they find any?
Lt. Custer and Union Troops
This colorized photo shows a group of Civil War soldiers with their general, General George Armstrong Custer. Custer and his men were killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, which is also known as Custer’s Last Stand. The battle took place in 1876 against a coalition of Native American tribes.
Creepy Ghost
Whether or not this is photoshopped, someone was certainly out to get that couple.
Armenian Genocide
A cruel Turkish official teases starving Armenian children with bread in the midst of the genocide. The Ottoman government’s systematic extermination of American minorities is a tragic and revolting glimpse into the past.
Parisian Children
These kids were watching a puppet show on the streets of Paris in 1963. It looks like they’re having lots of fun!
Korean War Death Toll
The Korean War lasted from 1950 to 1953. The casualties amounted to over one million soldiers from the battlefield alone.
Spontaneous Combustion
Spontaneous human combustion is one of the most bizarre unknown phenomenons ever witnessed. It occurs when living or recently deceased bodies burst into flames without any source of ignition. The above photo features one of the most famous cases to date.
Prisoner of the Union
Union prisoners getting food from Fort Sumter in 1864 in the midst of the Civil War.
Dogs of War
This tiny dog is supervised by soldiers as he sits on top of a canon during WWI.
The Back of a Survivor
This is one of six survivors of the Hiroshima bomb, which killed over 80,000 people on impact.
Eerie Silhouettes
What would you do if you saw these two dark figures staring back at you?
Smile of Death
It’s hard to believe this soldier could still crack a smile even among all the chaos and tragedy surrounding him.
A Price to Pay
This young girl’s home was bombed in 1940. She can be seen sitting on the remaining debris, clutching a baby doll to her chest.
Sleeping Beauty
Although it may initially appear that this woman is asleep, that’s not the case. The woman, named Loana, actually drank her own blood and died in 1909.
Now That’s a Big Fish!
This seabass caught by Edward Llewellen weighed about 425 pounds. It is the largest seabass ever caught, and Llewellen did it all on his own!
Inspecting the Goods
An Italian woman inspects the kilts of Scottish soldiers after Rome’s liberation from the Axis powers in 1944.
Evil Twin
Is it photoshop or a trick of the eye? Or maybe something more sinister?
Legless Dancer
The dancing girl in the background of this photo appears to have no legs. A trick of the light or a phantom dancer?
Powder Monkey
Powder monkeys were young boys who were assigned the job of moving sacks of gunpowder, especially during the Age of Sail. The name came from gunpowder and because the boys were known to run around and jump all over the cannons like little monkeys.
Photos with the Dead
Back in the day, it was very common to pose for a photo with the recently deceased. This woman was the victim of a fire and her family wished to preserve her memory.
Sharing War Stories
Bernard Herzog was once a prisoner of war in the Philippines during WWII. After his release, Herzog returned home and began working as a taxi driver.
Sinister Snacktime
When someone took a closer look at their popcorn, they found something they had never expected…
Warning: Disturbing Image
These emaciated victims of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp were being loaded onto trucks to be buried.