Tired of the usual snapshots of the Statue of Liberty, Egyptian pyramids, and Moon Landing? Brace yourself for a revelation! These overexposed treasures have a hidden side you’ve never seen. Prepare to be captivated as we present a mesmerizing collection of images that unveil the untold stories behind these famous landmarks and historical events. Discover a fresh perspective that will leave you in awe of the secrets they hold.
The other side of the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.
We have all seen the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. But unless you have been to Nevada, you probably haven’t seen the other side of the Las Vegas landmark. Designed by Betty Willis in 1959, the sign has two sides that can be seen by people arriving and leaving the city. The less known side of the sign says, “Drive Carefully, Come Back Soon.”
The backside of the Hoover Dam before Lake Mead filled (1935).
Looking downstream from the Arizona rim, this photo shows the upstream face of the Hoover Dam slowly disappear as Lake Mead filled back in May 1935. If you were wondering what the four structures in front of it are, they’re water intake towers.
Inside the Hindenburg’s control room and dining room.
The LZ 129 Hindenburg was a German commercial airship that flew from March 1936 until May 1937 – when it was destroyed by fire in a tragic accident. The upper deck of the airship contained small passengers quarters, a dining room and a lounge, the lower deck contained washrooms, a mess hall for the crew and a smoking room.
The alleged silhouette in the NBA logo: Jerry West playing for the Lakers (1969).
One of the most identifiable images in sports, the NBA logo was created in 1969 by brand consultant Alan Siegel. Looking for inspiration, he found a photo of Jerry West playing and made it a prototype for the logo. While the artist never tried to hide his inspiration, the league never officially confirmed that the image was modeled after the athlete.
Traders at the New York Stock Exchange on Black Monday (1987)
Getty Images / AFP / MARIA BASTONE
Taken on October 19th, 1987, this picture shows how devasted traders looked on the day commonly referred to as Black Monday. It was that day that the Dow Jones index plummeted over 200 points in record trading and the stock market crashed unexpectedly.
Filming the first-ever Superman movie (1978).
A box-office success, the first Superman movie was released in 1978. The film set a new record for business during a pre-Christmas week in the U.S. with a remarkable $12,044,352. Pictured above are Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent and Margot Kidder as Lois Lane.
Tulip Fields in the Netherlands.
Located southwest of Amsterdam, the town of Lisse is known for the Keukenhof garden and its millions of spring-flowering bulbs. Here you can see what Lisse’s beautiful flower fields look like from above.
The Statue of Liberty being displayed at the Paris World’s Fair (1878).
Not everyone knows, but the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States. The statue was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel. Before it was dedicated in 1886, Lady Liberty’s head was displayed at the Paris World Fair in 1878.
Aerial view of Central Park, New York.
Located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan, Central Park is the fifth-largest park in New York City, covering 843 acres. It is also the most visited urban park in the entire country, with approximately 42 million visitors every year.
The iconic Muhammad Ali photo and how that moment looked on television (1965).
Captured on May 25, 1965, the picture above is the most iconic photo in boxing history. Although Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston had fought each other in 1964, this rematch happened a year later. The picture below it shows how it was seen on live TV.
Neil Armstrong’s family watching him launch to the Moon (1969).
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person to ever walk on the Moon. As part of the Apollo 11 mission, commander Neil Armstrong, lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin, and command module pilot safely landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on the lunar surface. The mission lasted 8 days, 3 hours, 18 minutes, 35 seconds.
Eruption of Mount St. Helens seen from Yale Lake (1980).
On March 20, 1980, Mount St. Helens experienced a magnitude 4.2 earthquake, and a week later, steam venting started. On May 18, there was a second earthquake (this time of magnitude 5.1), which triggered a collapse of the northern flank of the mountain. The eruption caused the largest known debris avalanche in recorded history, flattening vegetation and buildings over 230 square miles and releasing more than 1.5 million metric tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere.
The back of the Great Sphinx of Giza’s head.
We all know what the Great Sphinx of Giza looks like. That is, we all know what its face looks like. Unless you have been to Egypt, you have probably never seen the back of the Sphinx’s head. This angle is also pretty interesting because it shows how close the Sphinx and the pyramids actually are to the city.
The launch of Apollo 11, July 16, 1969.
The first spaceflight to ever land humans on the Moon, Apollo 11’s launch was watched by millions of people around the world and some lucky few in person. Here we can see the personnel in the Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center watching its launch.
What Mt. Rushmore was supposed to look like.
You may not know this but Mt. Rushmore was not meant to look the way it does. The original sculpture was planned to feature not only the presidents’ heads but also their bodies. However, due to insufficient funding, the carving of the sculpture was forced to end in 1941 before it was completed.
The Gateway Arch before the middle of the catenary arch was put in place in 1965.
Designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen, the Gateway Arch was erected to celebrate St. Louis’s central role in the westward expansion of the United States. The monument is 630-foot tall, which makes it the tallest arch in the world and the tallest accessible building in Missouri.
Another picture of the Afghan Girl (1984).
Sometimes referred to as “the First World’s Third World Mona Lisa”, Afghan Girl is a photographic portrait of Sharbat Gula taken by photojournalist Steve McCurry in 1984. At the time the photograph was taken, Gula was a child living in a refugee camp in Pakistan during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
The backside of the Price Is Right wheel.
The longest-running game show in history, The Price Is Right was initially hosted by Bill Cullen and broadcast on NBC. Since the beginning of the franchise in 1956, the show has remained extremely successful and has even been ranked by TV Guide as one of the greatest game shows ever. The show format has even been adapted for several international TV channels in countries such as United Kingdom, Australia, and Mexico.
Niagara Falls without water, 1969
When the US Army Corps of Engineers constructed a temporary dam in order to conduct a scientific survey on Niagara Falls in 1969, they did not expect to attract 100,000 curious people trying to what the waterfalls look like without water. Before that, the last time the American Falls had been exposed was March 1848, when an ice jam from Lake Erie stopped the Niagara River.
Inside a dressing room at the Moulin Rouge, 1924.
Whether you’ve been to Paris or not, you’ve probably heard of Moulin Rouge. Originally built in 1889, the venue is not only a famous tourist attraction but also the inspiration behind the 2001 romantic drama Moulin Rouge! Here, some dancers can be seen getting ready to perform onstage.
Statue of David by Michelangelo encased in bricks to prevent damage from bombs during World War II (1943).
In January 1943, Michelangelo’s David was entombed in brick to protect it from bombs. The 17-ft marble statue of the Biblical figure David was kept encased for two and a half years until it was decided it was safe to reveal it again. When the time came to remove its protection, preservationist Deane Keller wrote to his wife, “The bright spot yesterday was seeing Michelangelo’s David at length divested of its air-raid protection. It was dusty and dirty but it was a great thrill.”
Manhattan Bridge under construction, 1909.
Seen here from the roof of the Robert Gair Building on February 11, 1909, the Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City. Although the first temporary wire between the bridge’s two towers was strung in June 1908, the Manhattan Bridge was only opened to traffic on December 31, 1909.
Close-up of Capitol Building’s Rotunda.
The Rotunda is a domed room located in the center of the U.S. Capitol. Its ceiling was painted in 1865 by Italian-American painter Constantino Brumidi, inspired by Liberty and Victory. Suspended 180 feet above the floor, the beautiful fresco is called The Apotheosis of Washington.
The pyramid at the Musée du Louvre from a brand new angle.
Completed in 1988, the Louvre Pyramid is a landmark of the city of Paris. Also known as Pyramide du Louvre, the large structure was designed by Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei, who has also designed the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the National Gallery of Art’s East Wing in Washington DC.
The shadow of Mt. Fuji.
This gorgeous picture depicts Mt. Fuji’s shadow at sunrise. Often obscured by low-hanging clouds, Mt. Fuji is an inconvenient location for photographers. On this clear day, however, this photographer managed to climb the mountain and capture a beautiful picture of its shadow and the view from the top.
The back of Cinderella’s castle.
To many people’s surprise, the back of Cinderella’s castle at Disney World is not flat or unpainted. In fact, it looks just as beautiful as its front. Completed in July 1971, it took 18 months for the 189-ft tall castle to be built. Cinderella’s Castle is the flagship attraction for Magic Kingdom and the main symbol of The Walt Disney Company.
The Gate of Heaven in Bali, often seen online with a reflecting pool digitally added to the foreground.
Located on Mount Lempuyang, Gate of Heaven is a famous Hindu temple that most of us have seen in pictures. It turns out that the mesmerizing pictures of tourists posing by a beautiful mirror-like lake do not reflect reality. In fact, the reflection we see in photos is a photography trick and this is what the area surrounding the structure looks like in real life.
Charles Ebbets shooting his famous photograph, Lunch atop a Skyscraper, while perching on the 69th floor of the GE building (1932).
One of the most famous photographs of the last century, Lunch atop a Skyscraper depicted eleven Rockefeller Center construction workers casually eating lunch while sitting on a beam hanging 840 feet in the air. Pictured here is the photographer responsible for capturing the iconic picture, Charles Ebbets.
The Pyramids of Giza are located only 11 miles away from Cairo.
Whenever we see pictures of the pyramids in Egypt, it always looks like they are located in the middle of the desert and hundreds of miles away from civilization. In reality, the Giza Pyramid Complex actually sits about 11 miles southwest of downtown Cairo and can be easily reached by a 15-minute drive.
While filming the wreck of the Titanic, the movie set was inverted to ease lighting and camera angles (1997).
Based on the sinking of the RMS Titanic, the 1997 movie Titanic was nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won 11. To film the scene of the shipwreck, director James Cameron chose to invert the set. This way, his crew would have better lighting and camera angles.
Mount Fuji seen from the International Space Station.
The highest mountain in Japan, Mount Fuji is a 100,000-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although we have all seen pictures of what it looks like from Earth, not many people have been able to see what it looks like from the International Space Station.
Dental prosthetics used by Marlon Brando in the Godfather series, which gave the Vito Corleone character his iconic ‘bulldog’ look.
To achieve his iconic ‘bulldog” look in the Godfather series, Marlon Brando had to wear a custom-made mouthpiece. The dental plumper was created by a dentist under the supervision of legendary makeup artist Dick Smith to age Brando’s jawline.
The Great Sphinx has a tail.
The Great Sphinx of Giza is the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt and one of the most recognizable statues in the whole world. It is a statue of a resting sphinx, a mythical creature with the head of a man, and the body of a lion. For this reason, it has a tail.
The film crew of Elf used forced perspective to make Will Ferrell seem larger than the other elves.
To make Will Ferrel’s character look larger than the other elves in Elf, the crew used a technique forced perspective. This technique manipulates our visual perception through the use of scaled objects and the correlation between them and the vantage point of the camera.
The Nevermind album cover baby getting out of the pool (1991).
Released on September 24, 1991, Nirvana’s Nevermind is one of the best-selling albums of all time – and was even added to the National Recording Registry in 2004 as “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”. Just like the music in the album, its cover, featuring a baby swimming toward a dollar bill, is one of the most famous album covers in popular music.
Mount Rushmore before the Presidents were carved in. It was called Six Grandfathers at this point (c. 1905).
Before it became known as Mount Rushmore, this granite formation in the Black Hills was called “The Six Grandfathers” by the Lakota people. Completed on October 31, 1941, the mountain now pays tribute to four United States presidents – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
Jerry Seinfeld waiting for his cue to enter a scene while taping the last episode of the show (1998).
We all know that Seinfeld was filmed in a set, not a real apartment, but it’s still a little bit weird to see it from this angle. The pilot episode and first three seasons of the show were filmed in smaller studios, but as Seinfeld grew, the crew was forced to relocate to the largest stage on the lot, Stage 9.
Inside view of the glass pyramid at Musèe du Louvre, Paris.
A landmark of the city of Paris, the Louvre Pyramid serves as the main entrance to the Louvre Museum. Designed by Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei, the glass and metal structure was built as part of the Grand Louvre project and completed in 1988. This is what it looks like from the inside.
Behind the scenes of Sesame Street.
On air since November 10, 1969, Sesame Street is an American educational TV show that combines puppetry, live-action, sketch comedy and animation. The show is so popular that in 2018, it was estimated that 86 million Americans had watched the series as children.
Mechanical shark used on Spielberg’s Jaws.
To create the illusion of a real-life shark, Spielberg combined animatronic sharks and real-life footage. Mixing footage of real sharks shot off the coast of Australia and 25-foot long animatronic sharks filmed in the open sea, Spielberg created a cinematic masterpiece called Jaws.
The Great Pyramids of Giza can be seen from a nearby Pizza Hut.
As it turns out, most images of the Giza Pyramids are shot from a specific angle that makes them look remote. However, less than a mile away from the pyramids and the Great Sphinx, there’s a Pizza Hut with incredible views of the historic sites.
View of the Niagara Falls from behind the falls.
Ever wondered what the Niagara Falls look like from the other side? There is an observation platform and tunnels near the bottom of the Horseshoe Falls that allow you to see the Canadian landmark from behind the falls.
A more realistic view of the Taj Mahal.
Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage”, the Taj Mahal is an Indian landmark. However, whenever we see pictures of the ivory-white marble mausoleum they are usually shot from a very different angle.
Sunset from space.
Sure, the sunset looks beautiful from Earth. The pink, yellow, orange hues we get to see every day are truly stunning. But it’s also pretty cool to see what it looks like from space.
The models for American Gothic (1942).
One of the most familiar images of 20th-century American art, American Gothic is a 1930 painting by Grant Wood that depicts a farmer standing beside his daughter. The artist was inspired to paint a specific house located in Eldon, Iowa, along with the people he imagined would live there. The figures were modeled by the painter’s sister Nan Wood Graham and their dentist Dr. Byron McKeeby.
Crowds at the Woodstock Music Festival (1969).
Widely regarded as a pivotal moment in popular music history, Woodstock Music and Art Fair was a music festival that took place in August 1969. Even though the festival organizers predicted no more than 50,000 people would attend the event, over 400,000 music lovers showed up at the venue.
Wilbur Wright flies around the Statue of Liberty (1909).
As part of the 300th New York Hudson-Fulton Celebrations, The Wright Brothers were invited by the US Navy to perform a flyby alongside their naval vessels. In front of over a million New Yorkers, on October 4, 1909, Wilbur Wright made a 20-mile flight up the Hudson River in 33 minutes.
The inside of King Tut’s tomb.
Discovered in 1922 underneath the remains of workmen’s huts built during the Ramesside Period, the tomb of young pharaoh Tutankhamun is located in the Valley of the Kings, in Egypt. While many of us have seen pictures of his mask found inside the burial chamber, this is what the wall decorations in his tomb look like.
Aurora Borealis seen from the International Space Station (2011).
If you have been lucky enough to see the Aurora Borealis and thought that nothing could ever be more beautiful than that, you were wrong. It turns out these colorful lights can also be seen from space – making them seem even more fascinating. This picture was captured by the crew of expeditions 28 and 29 onboard the International Space Station in 2011.
The Shenzhen (China) – Hong Kong border (2017).
Separating Hong Kong from China, this is a 25-mile-long boundary that runs in the middle of the Shenzhen River. On the left is the city of Shenzhen in China, on the right is the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
A man standing on the first cables during the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge (1935).
Opened on May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Construction for the suspension bridge started on January 5, 1933, and ended on April 19, 1937.
Marilyn Monroe filming the iconic subway grate scene in The Seven Year Itch (1955).
Even if you have never watched The Seven Year Itch, you have definitely seen a picture of this iconic movie scene. The moment is so important in cinematic history that to this day the white dress worn by Marilyn Monroe is considered one of the most iconic images of the 20th century.
Barcelona as seen from above.
Unlike most cities in the world, Barcelona was an intentional city constructed by central planners. For this reason, it looks perfectly tidy and symmetrical. Now, if you were wondering what is the large structure toward the center of the picture, it’s the beautiful La Sagrada Familia cathedral.
The Chicago skyline seen from Indiana.
If you are from Chicago or have visited the largest city in Illinois, you have seen the buildings that compose this beautiful skyline. But if you’re from Indiana, maybe you’ve had the chance to see it from a completely different angle. We wonder what Porter, Indiana, looks like when seen from Chicago…
Batman & Robin scaling the side of a building (1966).
Have you ever wondered how they filmed superhero movies and TV shows before CGI and green screens? Directors and their crews really had to be creative back then. For this Batclimb scene, the actors filmed everything at a 90-degree angle to pretend they were really scaling the side of a building.
The basement beneath the Lincoln Memorial.
The Undercroft, as the Lincoln Memorial basement is known, was originally created just as part of the supporting structure of the building. For a while, the National Park Service offered flashlight tours of the area, but since 1989 it has been closed to the public.
Construction of the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa (2008).
Reaching an impressive 2,717-ft height, Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. The skyscraper is located in Dubai and cost US$1.5 billion to complete. The construction of the building commenced in January 2004 and was concluded in October 2009.
Uncropped version of the Tank Man photo from the day of the Tiananmen Square Massacre (1989).
Giving the original Tank Man photo even more weight, here’s its uncropped version. While the famous picture shows a brave anonymous man stopping the advance of four tanks in Beijing, the reality is a lot more terrifying than that. There was an endless column of tanks on the road that day.
Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa Is Returned To The Louvre After WWII.
In February 1943, Da Vinci’s most famous painting, the Mona Lisa, was moved to Château de Montal where it was hidden during the war. When Germany surrendered in May 1945, the Louvre’s artwork slowly began to return to the museum. The Mona Lisa returned on June 16, 1945, but was only rehung on October 6, 1947.
Traffic Jam near the Brandenburg Gate as East Germans move into West Berlin after the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989).
Travel had always been free between East and West Berlin until the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961. After the wall fell on November 11, 1989, thousands of East Germans decided to drive to the other side of the city – which caused a heavy traffic jam by the Brandenburg Gate.
The recording of the MGM Lion (1928).
Hollywood film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s feline mascot was called Leo the Lion. However, from all the lions used to film their logo throughout the years, only one was actually called Leo. The one pictured above, for example, is called Jackie.
Color photo of the Addams Family set showing the living room was actually pink (1964).
The set of the 1964 sitcom Adams Family was a lot different than we could have imagined. To make sure the background would light up well and not blend with the foreground elements when shooting in black and white, all elements were bright and colorful.
Two men posing for a photo booth photograph (c. 1900).
Moments like this were not a common sight in the 1900s. At the time, same-sex relationships were not only frowned upon but sometimes even illegal – so most people would try to hide their relationships from strangers.
Aerial view of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France.
One of the most famous monuments in Paris, the Arc de Triomphe honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. With an overall height of 164 ft, it was the tallest triumphal arch in the world until the completion of the Monumento a la Revolución in Mexico City in 1938.
U.S. East Coast seen from space.
Captured by the International Space Station, this nighttime photograph shows a pretty different view of the U.S. East Coast. If you needed a reminder of how massive the universe is, just take a closer look at this mesmerizing picture.
The filming of Star Wars: Episode V‘s “I Am Your Father” scene (1979).
Even if you have never seen a single Star Wars movie, you have probably heard the phrase “No, I am your father”. This is how the iconic scene was shot back in 1979. When The Empire Strikes Back was released in 1980, it became the highest-grossing film of the year, earning approximately $401.5 million worldwide.
The inside of Stonehenge looks pretty much like its exterior.
One of the most famous landmarks in the United Kingdom, Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument. It consists of an outer ring of 13-ft tall stones weighing around 25 tons topped by horizontal stones. However, what you might not know is that inside the monument there is a ring of smaller bluestones.
The underside of an NHL arena.
Just as we would expect, there isn’t a lot to see underneath an NHL arena. But it’s still pretty cool to see the structure where we sit to watch the games from the other side. It’s good to know the bleachers look pretty sturdy from all angles.
Space Shuttle Atlantis’ last rollout for her final mission (2011).
Delivered to the Kennedy Space Center in April 1985, Space Shuttle Atlantis was the fourth operational and the second-to-last Space Shuttle built. Its maiden flight took place from October 3rd to 7th, 1985, and it embarked on its final mission on July 8th, 2011. By the end of Atlantis’ final mission, on July 21, 2011, it had orbited the Earth a total of 4,848 times, traveling almost 126,000,000 miles.
The Eiffel Tower seen from above.
At 1,063-ft tall, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris. Completed in 1889, the wrought-iron lattice tower has become one of the most recognizable structures in the entire world. To put its height in perspective, it is as tall as an 81-story building.
The original shot for Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush album cover (1970).
This is what the original picture that became Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush album cover looked like. Before the solarization process and cropping Graham Nash out of the photo, it almost looked like an unintentional shot. Photographer Joel Bernstein explained why there was an elderly woman in the frame: “The photo was not ‘a mistake.’ I saw the small, old woman coming towards us down the sidewalk, was intrigued, and wanted to catch her passing Neil.”
The blood-stained glasses John Lennon wore the night he was shot (1980)
December 8th, 1980, was a devastating day not only for Beatles fans but for most people all over the world. That day, aged just 40 years old, John Lennon was murdered by a man enraged by his claim that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus”. To this day, this remains one of the most appalling moments in the history of rock music.
Some of the original Jawa cast without their hoods on the set of Star Wars (1976).
Whether you are a huge Star Wars fan or just someone who has seen the movies once, you have probably wondered what Jawas looked like under their hoods. Well, it turns out they were portrayed by children and adults of short stature.
Man being shaved with an axe (1940s)
When we think we’ve seen everything, we find pictures like this one. Apparently, back in the 1940s, some men used axes to shave their beards. We can only imagine how many accidents must have happened due to this unorthodox shaving method and suddenly feel so much appreciation for disposable and electric razors.
Hiroshima victim’s scars
During WWII, several Japanese cities, including Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were bombed, causing widespread destruction and hundreds of casualties. The bombing of Hiroshima alone killed about 80,000 people. There were very few surviving victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima – this picture shows the scars on the back of one of these survivors.
Dance ‘Til You Drop contest where you were eliminated if your knees touched the ground (1947)
This dancer looks like she’s all danced out. Before reality, television was a thing, one way people would get their entertainment would be to watch dance marathons. These marathons were especially popular during the great depression because if contestants won, they would be rewarded with food, shelter, and a cash prize.
A chimpanzee taking a swimsuit model’s picture (1965)
It turns out, chimpanzees can do a lot more than we think, like becoming photographers for example. This chimpanzee is taking a model’s photograph while also wearing a kimono. Now, that’s not something you usually see on a day-to-day basis. One thing is for sure, and that’s that chimpanzees will always keep us on our toes.
Miss Correct Posture winners (1956)
In the 1950s and 1960s, American chiropractors decided to innovate in the beauty pageant department. They created the Miss Correct Posture contest, where women were judged not only by their appearance and poise, but also by their standing posture. To prove they had amazing posture, contestants would even bring x-rays of their spines.
A French Resistance fighter, Georges Blind, smiles while being executed by German Soldiers during World War II
Wikimedia Commons
The Le fusillé souriant picture, also known as The Smiling Executioner, depicts a French Resistance fighter named Georges Blind being executed by German Soldiers during World War II. Facing death, Blind maintained a smile on his face, symbolizing his unwavering courage and resistance against oppression. He became an iconic symbol of bravery and resilience in the face of adversity, capturing the spirit of the Resistance movement and inspiring others to stand up against tyranny.
The Ohio National Guard opened fire at Kent State on a crowd protesting the Vietnam War, killing four (1970)
There were 28 National Guards who shot at a crowd that gathered to protest the war at Kent State University. Four students were killed and 8 were wounded. About 2,000 people assembled and without warning, the guardsmen started firing their weapons. This shooting brought forth protests on college campuses all over the country.
The original polaroid photo taken by Mary Ann Moorman a fraction of a second after JFK was shot (1963)
The assassination of John F. Kennedy still lives in our collective memories, and Mary Ann Moorman is the most famous witness of the scene, known for her polaroid photograph capturing the tragic moment a fraction of a second after it happened. The image itself has been put to scrutiny ever since, with viewers arguing to have recognized up to four different kinds of figured in the treeline in the background.
The first-ever roller coaster ride in Ireland (1912)
It’s crazy to think about how unsafe some things were back in the day. Obviously, a roller coaster like this one would never be built – but apparently in the 1910s it was a totally acceptable amusement park ride. We have definitely come a long way since then…
The last inmates departing Alcatraz prison (1963)
After operation for 29 years, the government decided to close the maximum-security island prison to avoid the $5 million repairs needs to fix its crumbling buildings which aided escape attempts. The remaining prisoners left to other institutions and the prison turned into a museum that attracts 1.5 million visitors each year.
Pope John Paul II being helped after he was shot (1981)
With blood stuck on his hands, Pope John Paul II is seen here being helped after he was shot in the stomach by a Turkish assassin on May 13, 1981. He survived, and the shirt he wore that day was taken and put in a display case in the Vatican as one of his relics for his canonization.
Che Guevara in a Conga Line in a kindergarten in Shanghai (1960).
Che Guevara was a lot of things: a Marxist revolutionary, a military theorist, a guerrilla leader, a diplomat. But none of these descriptions explain why he was pictured dancing in a kindergarten in China in a Conga Line a year after the end of the Cuban Revolution.
A federal agent inspects a ‘lumber’ truck after smelling alcohol during the prohibition period, Los Angeles (1926).
During the prohibition period, people who wanted to sell and drink alcohol had to get really creative. Bootleggers transporting liquor would hide it in cars under false floorboards, in fake gas tanks, or even inside fake piles of bricks.
Hanging of Lepa Radić (1943)
At age 17, Lepa Svetozara Radić was executed for shooting at German troops. The Yugoslav Partisan was later awarded the Order of the People’s Hero for her role in the resistance movement against the Axis powers in World War II.
The last US helicopter out of Saigon, Vietnam on a mission to evacuate the remaining at-risk Americans from the war (1975)
The last helicopter was on a mission called Operation Frequent Wind and it carried Major Kean and 10 Marine Security Guards. Throughout the operation, over 1,000 Americans and over 5,000 Vietnamese were transported from Saigon. The operation only lasted 19 hours but with 81 helicopters involved, it’s known to be the biggest helicopter evacuation ever reported.
Mark David Chapman, the man who murdered John Lennon (1980)
Taken on December 9th, 1980, this picture is the mugshot of Mark David Chapman, the man who murdered John Lennon, after his arrest. Sentenced to 20 years to life, he has been denied parole twelve times.
Civil Rights marchers were assaulted in Selma, Alabama and the day became a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement (1965)
Hundreds of protestors, about 25,000 people, got together to march from Selma to Montgomery to guarantee African Americans could use their constitutional right to vote. Demonstrators were met with violence, giving the day its nickname, “bloody Sunday.” These marches prompted Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Coal miners coming up coal mine elevator after a day’s work in Belgium (1920s)
Although we have to agree this coal mine elevator looks absolutely terrifying, we feel like you should probably know this is still better than the mechanism used before they were invented. In the 19th century, coal miners would use something called a “man engine” to assist their journeys to and from the working levels of the mines. Powered by waterwheels or steam engines, these 12-inch wide platforms would ascend and descend hundreds of yards allowing workers to reach their workplace and come back up.
Burial at sea for the officers and men of the USS Intrepid who lost their lives after the aircraft carrier was hit by Japanese bombs (1944)
This picture captures the burial at sea ceremony held for the officers and men of the Intrepid that passed away due to a kamikaze attack during operations in the Phillippines. On November 26, 1944, a day after the attack, the surviving members of the aircraft carrier’s crew paid their respects to the 69 men who tragically lost their lives.
A victim’s wounds from the Hiroshima atomic bomb explosion (1951)
The United States made the decision to drop the world’s first-ever atomic weapons on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Those who got badly burned at Hiroshima were less than 7,500 feet away from the center of the explosion. Those who survived the bombs at Nagasaki were 13,800 feet away.
Windows 10’s desktop wallpaper is made out of light, not CGI.
For the Windows 10 wallpaper, Microsoft decided to get creative. The software company used camera mapping techniques, lasers and projectors to create the dark and misty logo used on their computers.
Actors posing as former U.S. president JFK and Marilyn Monroe.
The rumors and stories surrounding JFK and Marilyn Monroe have always been a part of their legacies. Although mystery still surrounds this relationship, it didn’t stop these two actors from posing as them. These incredibly real-looking photos caused a lot of confusion, but they were taken by photographer Alison Jackson.
Dazed boy, his face cut by glass, holding rationed rice balls, following the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
This gut-wrenching picture shows the disastrous aftermath of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. Here, we can see a young boy, no older than 4 years old, with his face cut by glass, standing with his injured mother holding rationed rice balls, following the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
Alternate view of St John’s Bridge in Portland Oregon.
The St. Johns Bridge is a steel suspension bridge that connects the Cathedral Park neighborhood in North Portland and the Linnton and Northwest Industrial neighborhoods in Northwest Portland. With two 400-foot-tall towers and a 205-foot-navigational clearance, it is the tallest bridge in Portland.
Looking down at L.A. from behind the Hollywood sign.
The Hollywood Sign is a cultural icon overlooking the city of Los Angeles. Located on Mount Lee, its 45-ft tall capital letters are one of the most well-known landmarks in the United States. Originally created in 1923 as a temporary advertisement for a local real estate development, the sign originally read “Hollywoodland”.
The Battle of Tarawa as seen from the battlefield (1943).
The Battle of Tarawa was fought in November 1943 between the United States and Japan at the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands and was part of Operation Galvanic, the U.S. invasion of the Gilberts. Nearly 6,400 Japanese, Koreans, and Americans died in the fighting, mostly on and around the small island of Betio, in the extreme southwest of Tarawa Atoll.
A rooftop pool in Singapore and a man base jumping at the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark.
At first glance this photo is definitely eye-catching and perhaps a bit frightening, however, it’s all about perspective. While visitors are enjoying their time by the poolside, the man spotted in the air is actually base jumping. It was taken at one of the largest base jumping venues located in Singapore.
Former prime minister of Italy, Aldo Moro, was kidnapped and assassinated while on his way to a government meeting.
In 1978, former prime minister Aldo Moro was kidnapped by members of a far-left militant group known as the Red Brigades. The five bodyguards protecting Moro at the time were killed. After 55 days, negotiations for Moro’s release had failed and he was found assassinated in a car in a street in Rome, Italy.
Japanese troops at Guam at the time of the surrender of Japan (1945).
Created in February of 1944, Japan’s 31st Army was placed under the control of Imperial Headquarters as a garrison force intended to prevent Allied landings in the Japanese islands of the Pacific Islands Mandate and to inflict such casualties on the enemy in a war of positions as to deter a proposed American invasion of Japan.
Torture During the Vietnam War
The world bears witness to the most unfortunate acts of inhumanity during times of war. This photo reveals the treatment of a captured Viet Cong soldier held in the “stress position.” Forcing someone to stay in this position puts extreme pressure on just a few muscles, eventually leading to muscle failure, and is recognized as a torture technique.
An exotic dancer named Mata Hari who was accused of being a spy and was executed by a firing squad (1917).
This is a photograph of Mata Hari. She was an exotic dancer and allegedly used her powers of seduction to get military secrets. She was suspected of spying for Germany during WW1 and was executed by 12 French soldiers.