A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. These unforgettable historical photographs then are certainly worth more than a million words! Whether it is a historical landmark, a famous person, or some random moment of the past - each of these rare vintage photos tells fascinating stories and serves as a window to some of the most interesting moments of our world’s past. As you scroll through this collection, you will realize just how much times have changed.
1. The longest ever flight was 64 days, 22 hours, and 19 minutes in this Cessna 172. Bob Timm and John Cook undertook this endeavor from December 1958 to February 1959. During this period, the airplane was refueled over 128 times by the pictured truck.
2. Two boys watch from a hilltop as American soldiers drive through the town of Saint-Lo, France, in 1944, in the aftermath of the D-Day invasion during World War II.
4. The thirteen sisters in the Brooks family are delighted with the arrival of their only brother, Leslie Benjamin Brooks, following his birth to Mrs. Brooks, 39, at their home in Pittsfield in 1954.
5. West Berlin residents show their children from the sides of the Berlin Wall to their grandparents living in East Berlin, in 1961. The Berlin Wall, which was erected on August 13, 1961, was a physical division between West Berlin and East Germany.
7. Simon was the world’s first-ever "smartphone." The device was originally introduced as a PDA (personal digital assistant) and was officially launched on August 16, 1994, at $899 featuring a 4.5-inch LCD touch screen. Unfortunately, it was discontinued within a year.
10. An Inuit woman, Kootucktuck, in her traditional dress at Fullerton Harbour, Nunavut, 1905. The photograph was taken by Geraldine Moodie, a famous Canadian photographer who was well-known for capturing photos of early Canadian history.
11. A pile of thousands of bison skulls in the American West in 1870. Bison were hunted to near extinction in the 19th century for their skins, while the rest of the animals were left behind to decay. Their bones were used in refining sugar and in making fertilizer.
14. Mr. L. Wing of the Metz Factory Branch in Los Angeles with his 22-horsepower Metz Speedster car at the edge of Grand Canyon, 1914. Wing wanted to show off the car’s abilities and was accompanied by a young Los Angeles reporter K. Parker.
16. A veteran of the Napoleonic wars posing with his wife. He was described as “one of the last surviving veterans of the Battle of Waterloo.” The photograph is stated to have been taken in 1860, 45 years after the Battle of Waterloo. (Colorized by Marvelis World)
18. Isaac Newton Seiber of Wolford, North Dakota, riding in a wagon pulled by an ostrich in 1920. The photo was taken at the Cawston Ostrich Farm in the Arroyo Seco, South Pasadena, California.
19. Carmagnolle diving suit, France, 1880. Developed by the Carmagnolle Bros., the suit was the first truly anthropomorphic suit design ever constructed. The helmet had 25 individual two-inch diameter glass viewing ports. The suit is currently on display at the National Maritime Museum in Paris.
25. This Grizzly Bear Chair was a gift to President Andrew Johnson (the 17th president of the United States) from hunter Seth Kinman in 1865. Reports say that the chair was made from two grizzly bears captured by Seth.
27. This is the bloodstained coat of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, nephew of Emperor Franz Josef and heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Ferdinand was shot dead along with his wife by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on June 28, 1914. His assassination was the catalyst of World War I.
30. Three young farmers on their way to a dance, Westerwald, Germany, 1914. The photo was taken by German photographer August Sander. The beautiful image captures the last moments of innocence before the start of World War I.
